How to make the perfect cup of tea, according to expert

Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. So if you want to appear more refined, or follow “proper etiquette,” Phillips, who has curated a menu of the perfect afternoon tea for the May 5-6th QIPCO Guineas Festival at Newmarket, recommends drinking your tea as if you were a member of the royal family. The 50 best tea rooms Show all 50 And while he does admit that it is “definitely a personal preference” to brew your tea for a strong four minutes, Yorkshire Tea suggests the same on their website, stating: “Tea needs time to unlock all its flavour, so give it four to five minutes to do its thing.” Tea-drinkers should also consider how they are stirring their tea and how they are holding their cups - as both are indicative of how refined you are. open image in gallery Afternoon tea is vastly different from high tea “First and foremost, you should be clear that afternoon tea is not the same as high tea,” Phillips warned. And to properly enjoy your quintessentially British afternoon tea, complete with the perfect cup of tea, Phillips insists only crustless sandwiches are served, and, of course, jam before cream on your scones.