British tea with milk

Name: British tea with milk
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 6 min
Ingredients: 3 g black tea leaves; 250 ml water, freshly drawn, just boiled; 30 ml milk, cold; 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Vegetarian

A strong, freshly brewed cup of black tea with a splash of cold milk — the everyday British cup, made in a pot or a mug.

British tea with milk is a British hot drink from United Kingdom, ready in about 6 minutes and made with black tea leaves and milk. It serves 1 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Prep: 1 min
Cook: 5 min
Total: 6 min
Serves: 1
Level: Beginner
Calories: 19

Ingredients

1 mug

3 g Black tea leaves (opens in a new tab)One tea bag or a heaped teaspoon of loose breakfast tea (Assam/Kenyan blend).
250 ml Water (opens in a new tab), freshly drawn, just boiled
30 ml Milk (opens in a new tab), coldSwap: Oat milk; Soy milkContains milk
1 tsp (4 g) Sugar (opens in a new tab) (optional)

Equipment

Method

1
Step 1
Fill the kettle (opens in a new tab) with fresh cold water and bring it to a full boil (100 °C). Warm the pot or mug with a splash of the hot water and pour it away.
- 3 min
- 100°C · water
- Kettle (opens in a new tab)
- Teapot (opens in a new tab)
2
Step 2
Add the tea and pour on the boiling water straight away. Steep for 3–5 minutes — 3 for a lighter cup, 5 for a strong 'builder's' brew.
- 4 min
3
Step 3
Remove the bag or strain the leaves, then add the milk (opens in a new tab) until the tea turns a warm tan colour. Stir in sugar (opens in a new tab) if you like.
- 1 min
How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

About this dish

Origin: United Kingdom · Well documentedTea with milk is equally everyday in Ireland.Also popular in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, CanadaMore food from United Kingdom
Dish: Breakfast · Snack · Hot drinks
Cooking method: Boiled
Taste: bitter, mild, creamy
Diet: Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-fat · Low-sodium
Without the optional extras: Whole-food focused, No added sugarWith the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for: Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with: Black tea leaves · Milk
Techniques: Boiling

Allergens

Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom milk

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

19 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 281 g · recipe makes 1

Where the energy comes from

Protein 21%
Carbohydrate 32%
Fat 47%

Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
Nutrient	Per serving	Per 100 g*
Energy	19 kcal	7 kcal
Protein	1 g	0.3 g
Carbohydrate	1.5 g	0.5 g
Net carbohydrate	1.5 g	0.5 g
Sugars	1.6 g	0.6 g
Added sugars	0 g	0 g
Fibre	0 g	0 g
Fat	1 g	0.4 g
Saturated fat	0.6 g	0.2 g
Trans fat	—	—
Cholesterol	3 mg	1 mg
Sodium	18 mg	7 mg
Salt equivalent	0 g	0 g

Vitamins & minerals per serving

Potassium: 41 mg
Calcium: 60 mg
Iron: 0 mg
Magnesium: 8 mg
Vitamin A (RAE): 14 µg
Vitamin C: 0 mg
Vitamin D: 0.4 µg
Vitamin B12: 0.1 µg
Folate (DFE): 2 µg

How these numbers were made

Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
*Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
Optional ingredients are not included: sugar.
Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): black tea leaves.
“—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

Re-boiled water tastes flat; always start with fresh water.
Adding milk to the cup first is an old habit; either way works if the tea has steeped first.

Common mistakes

Adding milk to the bag before it has steeped — the tea stays weak because cooler water extracts less.

Serve with

With digestive biscuits, toast or scones.

Storage

Make fresh each time; stewed or reheated tea is bitter.

Variations

Irish breakfast tea (Ireland): Made with a stronger, malty Assam-heavy blend and plenty of milk.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added 29 Oct 2026 · Updated 8 Nov 2026

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Customise in Sip & BlendCompare with

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Milk, cold30 ml · 31 g

Used in step 3

Less sweet, dairy-free, caffeine-free or for more people — the original stays as it is.

Customise in Sip & Blend

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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