According to The Telegraph, Earl Grey Tea fans are up in arms about the ‘new recipe’ for Earl Grey from Twinings.
Maker Twinings trumpeted that adding “a dash of lemon and a touch more bergamot” would create its “best ever” tipple.
Apparently there is trouble brewing as hundreds have complained on the company’s website and a Facebook campaign page called ‘Bring back the original Twinings Earl Grey tea’.
Twinings was founded by Thomas Twining after he opened a tea room on the Strand in London in 1706.
It launched the first brand of Earl Grey tea in 1831, naming it after the Prime Minister of the day, Charles Grey.
The distinctive taste is created by infusing black tea with the oil of the bergamot orange from South-East Asia.
The question is could this be just a storm in a teacup or will Twinings have to go back to the drawing board and bring the original recipe back.
AFTERNOON TEA 4 TWO - FOOD & LIFESTYLE BLOG... 
I use to drink earl grey alot, and I think too much, as I started to get dizzy spells. I stopped drinking it about 10 years ago, and only have it now and then if out for a tea and cake ;D
I am sure people will not be happy if they have changed the original flavour.
What Twinings should do is keep the original and also the new update. Then people can choose if they fancy a change or stick to the original.
J 🙂
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Goodness knows why they changed the recipe – I think whoever thought of changing it will be in the bad books now. I have it just like you, sometimes when I’m out with an afternoon tea, but not at home 🙂
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In this case, I would agree completely with Julie. Why did they change it?
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As I said to Julie, goodness knows why they would change something that has sold so well for so long but I think whoever thought of changing it will be in the bad books now.:)
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Storm in a teacup, what a pun? If it aint broke you don’t need to fix it. Even Coca Cola fiddles around with new flavours, but the majority just want the real stuff!
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I know I can’t stand that ‘cherry coke’, just like I cannot understand why someone wanted to change earl grey when it has sold so well for so long. I bet someone has got a ticking off about it :):)
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I agree with everyone here. For Twiing would be best place this as new sort of tea in shops but do not ban their original Earl Grey from shops.
Or place one hint on´the paperback of the packet: Maybe you like to drink your earl grey this way with the ingredients for special taste.
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There was nothing wrong with the original one, so why change something that is doing so well – it seems silly to me.
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I must confess that earl grey is my least favourite tea – too delicate for me. i like a good cup of English breakfast or good old Builders :DD
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I love English tea and do not have earl grey in at home but do enjoy it with a piece of cake when I am out. 🙂
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It is too perfumey for me if that makes sense
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Yes, I know what you mean, another which is really really perfumey is the rose petal tea. I feel like I want to wear it rather than drink it :):0
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Mr Penry loves Lapsang Souchong. Very difficult to find nowadays in the average supermarket however.
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I don’t think I have tried that one tylluanpenry – but you could also get it online from a number of places 🙂
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Ooh no, I don’t approve of that. I don’t have Earl Grey very often, but when I do I expect to know what I am getting.
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I agree with you Tom, and anyway why change something that has been the same for so many years. Keep the original recipe and think of a name for another one would have been more sensible 🙂
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I don’t think I could get through a day without a cup of Earl Grey. If they mess around with the recipe they should market it as something else.
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That’s exactly what I have just said to Tom. Why change something so good when they could easily market it with another name. 🙂
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I hope this will provoke tea consumers into trying the offerings of smaller tea companies. This is a huge own goal on the part of Twinings. Check out my view at http://dasteepsspeaks.blogspot.com/2011/08/if-it-aint-broke-dont-fix-it.html
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Just read your post Matthew and your view is also very interesting and true, thanks for calling to read my blog post 🙂
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