English breakfast tea

• English Breakfast tea, (rare) English-breakfast tea

English breakfast tea (countable and uncountable, plural English breakfast teas)

1. (usually uncountable) A traditional type of black tea originating in India and Kenya.

   Synonyms: breakfast tea, English breakfast

   • 1959 November 26, Nan Ickeringill, “Food: Mail-Order Gifts; Delicacies Available in Several States For Christmas or All Through the Year”, in The New York Times‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 July 2025:

     The concern’s specialty is a “taste test” assortment of sixteen varieties of tea attractively packaged in small gold-lacquered cans. This gift provides the recipients with a wonderful opportunity to discover their favorite blends among such famous teas as oolong, jasmine, darjeeling and English breakfast teas.

   • 2023, Lisa McDonald, Jill Rheinheimer, “Classic blends”, in Tea For Dummies, Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, →ISBN, part 2 (Talking about Different Types of Tea), chapter 4 (Black Tea), page 49:

     Breakfast tea was first marketed by Scottish tea master Mr. [Robert] Drysdale, but the English quickly seized the idea, and English breakfast teas were born. They originally were designed to accompany the hearty breakfasts of late-1800s England, but it is said that Queen Anne wanted something a bit lighter to accommodate her classic breakfast.

2. (countable) A serving of English breakfast tea.
   • 2005 August 3, Roy Rivenburg, “Laguna Beach Party Guests Take a Spot of the Supernatural With Their Tea”, in Los Angeles Times‎^[2], Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 26 January 2021:

     Swirling, tilting and staring into teacups, [Servet] Hasan, 47, a transplant from Pakistan who said that tea-leaf reading was a 500-year tradition in her family, discovered strange omens in the Darjeeling and English breakfast teas that were served.

   • 2014 January 16, Scott Campbell, “Ziferblat, London’s pay-as-you-go cafe”, in The Daily Telegraph‎^[3], London: Telegraph Media Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 4 March 2016:

     All in all, in the two hours I was there, I had a lemon and ginger tea, two English breakfast teas and a couple of slices of toast for £3.60 (although I made a £5 donation).

   • 2023 September 15, Adam Tschorn, quoting Ellen Bennett, “How to have the best Sunday in L.A., according to Ellen Bennett”, in Los Angeles Times‎^[4], Los Angeles, Calif.: Los Angeles Times Communications, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 15 September 2023:

     Since this is my dream Sunday, that’s where we’d go because it’s near Proof Bakery. Casey loves their coffee, and Nico loves their croissants. I’ll get an English breakfast tea with a splash of milk.

   • 2023 December 7, Helen Coffey, “David Gandy on modelling, influencers and obesity in the UK: ‘I wasn’t born with this body’”, in The Independent‎^[5], London: Independent News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 7 December 2023:

     I’m picturing David Gandy, arguably the world’s first and only male supermodel, with plaits and bows in his hair. Sitting across from him as he casually sips an English breakfast tea, I thought I’d be picturing him in his famous tiny white trunks – the ones he wore in the Dolce and Gabbana campaign that turned him from a model into a household name back in 2006.