When it comes to our national drink, don’t just opt for the most familiar brews – Suze Olbrich investigates the wonderful world of tea at a Twinings masterclass

Tea is intrinsic to daily life: a solitary pleasure and a convivial one. It accompanies us as we rise, toil, socialise and unwind. In the UK, it is a star of our national narrative, and Twinings is inextricable from its history, which makes its store – a London fixture since 1706 – the ideal place to undertake a tea masterclass.

Walking through the galley-shaped shop towards the loose-leaf tasting bar, rainbow-hued packaged teas cede way to jars of leaves. Naturally, the first thing my host, Julia Hutchings, does is to offer me a cup of hand-picked loose leaf. I opt for the traditional blend, not anticipating a marked difference from similar strength teabags. My mistake is apparent at first sip and I learn that flawed brewing habits – such as using boiling water and relying too heavily on bagged teas – are colluding to lessen my drinking pleasure.

The first hour slips by as Hutchings relays the vivid history of Twinings and tea. This is a gripping precursor to the tasting itself, which features six single estate teas – Hutchings listing their provenance as they brew, explaining how the flavour of the leaves is affected by changes in soil, elevation and oxidisation. It’s now common for customers to wish anything that passes our lips to be as sustainably and naturally produced as possible. Hutchings tells me that Twinings is a founding member of the Ethical Tea Partnership, a not for profit organisation that exists to improve sustainability, the lives and livelihoods of tea workers and smallholder farmers, and the environment in which tea is produced. I could spend a lifetime getting to know tea.

We begin with Chakra Silver Tips, a barely processed Indonesian white tea, with delicate traces of oil that denote quality. I fudge my attempt at a slurp, but the tea is a honeysuckle sweet marvel. I sip, sniff and feel my way, taking in a rare, gently toasted yellow brew; Japan’s vivacious steamed Gyokuro, which is greenest of green; the Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong, replete with its fine fable of origin; Southern India’s Nilgiri Twist, which I would happily drink morning, noon and night; we end with Roasted Pu-erh, a prized black tea of earthen, savoury depth.

I leave firm in my resolve to do far better by my daily tea and therefore, by me.

To win a Twinings tea masterclass for yourself and five friends at the Twinings shop, 216 Strand, London, enter here

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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, Travel Tips