I have just joined a new Facebook group urging Twinings to ditch its new wishy washy Earl Grey tea and reinstate its original aromatic recipe loved my millions around the world.
The new version is weak and tasteless, like perfumed dishwater. It lacks substance and character and fails to refresh. It leaves me feeling totally dissatisfied and frustrated. It is no longer a pleasurable experience, it is not a refreshment one can savour any longer. Loyal Earl Grey devotees feel betrayed.
My question to Twinings is, why the heck change what is a very successful and popular recipe? The British are a nation of tea drinkers, and you tamper with with their favourite cuppa at your peril. I, for one, will no longer be buying and shall seek out other brands.
The story has made national news, was debated on Radio 4 this week and has even made CNN. Here are some of the outraged comments on Facebook, and do add your penny worth too if you also feel cheated:
Derek Ian Elder: I am listening a ‘You and Yours’ item on Radio 4 about the ‘new’ Twinings Early Gray. The company mouthpiece is a poorly-briefed PR right down to her lack of understanding of ‘statistically significant’ when defending how the company market tested the new mix. A tea expert has just politely, but surely, stuck in the stiletto by saying he prefers the old and putting the new down to cost-saving money. The PRs’ ripost was that the difference is negligible and it’s not about cost! Then why bother? New Coke anyone? And Lidl’s Earl Gray is better than you may think.
Patricia Jones: The new blend of Earl Grey is not to my taste. I had a bad cold when I first drank it and not realising the product had been tampered with thought it was my taste buds. Cold has now gone, wish this blend would disappear. Hope this is an official petition that Twining will see and take action on. They state on their blog that sales of the new blend are good. That’s because when we shop, we just pick up the box of tea that we have used for years, I certainly don’t have time to read all the blurb on the boxes. They will find a difference next time, with so many people disliking the new blend. It’s not Earl Grey, so why call it that.
Sue Fisher: The new stuff is vile, and I don’t care if Twinings still makes the ‘original’ in its export version. I don’t want to buy tea bags in stupid envelopes with stupid strings on them at twice the price in the US. I want to fill my suitcase with boxes of the original when I’m back in the UK. Do the right thing Twinings!
Monique Pritchard: I emailed twinings to complain about 4 months ago on their change to dishwater from my beloved original earl grey. They were very apologetic and gave me the usual its been tested in the market its what our customers want etc…..apparently not according the blog on their web site and the current media. However they were kind enough to send me a parcel containing 200 teabags of original flavour 09 gold taste and a box of the Orange blossom earl grey which I have to say is really enjoyable, however becomes an indulgent cuppa at only 25 bags per box a bit like the earl grey classic which Twinings are saying that they have brought back the old taste in this box. In my opinion classic earl grey (boxed as 25 bags) does not taste the same as the black box of 09 gold taste(boxed as 50 or 100) and the classic earl grey box has always been available me thinks? They did send me a box of this in addition to the rest in my parcel.
Sophia Baba: Whomever made a final decision on this disasterous shame and devastating negative publicity to a company which cling onto its tradition should be held accountable for loss of trust among its loyal patrons across the globe. If this were in Japan, such a person would have resigned (or been forced to resign, whichever comes first) from the position long ago! Lucky that Twinings was based in UK.
Adam Pracht: Got this back from Twinings USA: “Thank you for contacting us, while Twinings is an international organization, every Twinings blend is customized based on the local markets due to the difference in demographics, the water used, and the difference in consumer taste pallet. While these changes are taking effect in the UK it has no impact on our blend sold here in the US or Canada.”
So good news for the states, but you still have my backing….
Rob Jennings: I used to work for Twinings in logistics. I suspect what has happened here is the “old” Earl Grey is manufactured in that packaging for markets outside the UK. I imagine they’re trying to source some stock (the packaged product not the raw tea) from one of their international distributors/agents, in this case Russia. It’s definitely not produced in Russia.
Twinings, beware – this is more than a storm in a teacup!
Same has happened to their Chai tea!
Geoff, perhaps you should complain. I have just ordered some Earl Grey classic, as it is now called by Twinings, but postage was not free as they state in their CNN interview, it’s only free on orders over £35:
http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/twinings-tea/earl-grey-teas/classic-earl-grey.html
I stopped drinking Twinings Early Grey some time ago and switched to the organic blend (with Bergamot oil) of the Viennese Demmer company. A world of difference in taste!
If you are interested, I can recommend two British companies that make excellent Early Grey blends, with Bergamot oil, the real thing.
Yes please Merisi, do tell, I think lots of other people will be interested too.
It is ever so. Oxo cubes used to be squishy little cubes of concentrated yummyness you could lick. Now they’re just cubes of salt with some flavouring.
I think you’ll find those “squishy little cubes of concentrated yummyness you could lick” were the congealed blood of cows collected from the abbatoire floors in ice cube trays and then wrapped in foil.
I could be mistaken.
Enjoy your memories !
Bon Apetite !
Thanks for that, Kev.
Do they have offices in Boston ?
We could go over there for a party.
Well done, Ellee. How dare they muck about with Earl Grey?!
Twings really have lost their minds. If they want to change the formula, they should hasve introduced the fresh version under a different title and kept the original as it was.
I do not know when I will be receiving my order as I received this email from Twinings’ customer services today:
Dear Ellee,
I’m emailing regarding your order for Classic Earl Grey.
Unfortunately we have not received our stock of Classic Earl Grey, so it will be a little late getting to you.
We are very sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, but we will get your order out to you as soon as it gets here.
If you do have any problems please call us on 0844 324 5000
Kind regards,
Andy
Sainsburys Earl Grey is surprisingly good
I emailed Twinings today (Sept 13/11) complaining about this new Earl Grey, how weak it is & to bring back the original bold, fabulous flavor. I received a reply back & they say they have not made ANY changes to the blend, only the packageing now reflects the light flavor. Earl Grey was never a ‘light’ tasting tea. I guess I’ll look for a new Earl Grey. I’ve tried so many over the years & Twinings was the best. Someone told me Twinings was bought by Tetley, I wonder if this has any reflection on the change? I know Bassett’s Licorice All Sorts hasnt been the same since it was bought out.
Stephanie, it’s ridiculous of Twinings to lie about it, they should not treat their consumers like idiots. I’ve just bought Duchy Originals Organic Early Grey from Waitrose and will let you know how it compares.
Twinings seem to have stopped publishing comments about Earl Grey on their website for about a week now. The last message was sent 8 days ago, and I have sent a message since then which has not appeared.
Does anyone happen to know why?
No, I’m sorry, I have no idea.
I finally received my order of Early Grey classic today and am just going to make a brew.
Hi Ellee,
I’m with you on this.
How was the “new” classic version?
I’ve exchanged several emails with their customer services team who though conciliatory, have failed as yet to make the classic version directly available on the web site, relying instead on manual distribution of the URL via email upon request!
They have assured me that the reboxed “classic” is no different to the old “gold taste 09”, but I dont want to order just one box to confirm it. Any feedback?
Thanks in advance, Baz
Hi Baz, I find the “new” classic versions till wishy washy. I need to leave it to brew for ages before drinking it. Why not try some of the other brands people have recommended and let me know.
Thanks for the reply, Ellee.
As others here have stated, I’ve found that Clipper / Tesco’s Finest are the most agreeable so far, but not quite the real thing. Have taken to hoarding EG from smaller stores who havent sold out yet – sometimes at good prices as they try to clear “old” stock. Have had most luck from small Co-op type stores and M&S mini stores (petrol stations, etc).
Sadly, it seems like I’m delaying the inevitable. Will report back if I find anything noteworthy.
Compliments of the season. All the best for 2012
I have just tried their new recipe as my stock of the old has just ran out. I have to agree that it is not a patch on the original. I find the Tesco Finest Earl Grey nicer than this.
Since the change/rebranding of Twinings Earl Grey I have been searching for a replacement and have found it in Clipper tea – in fact I have now switched to Clipper for all my teas and don’t have to bother with Twinings at all.
As a US consumer of Twinings Earl Grey from way back, I can tell you that the blend was changed about 2006 to the “light†flavor. It does not have the richness of the original. Upon discovering this we bought all the old stock we could find in our stores. We also will filled our suitcases with the Twinings Earl Grey while we were in the UK. What they are offering you now is NOT what you are used to. We still have some of the original in our stash, but even tea will not hold its flavor forever, so I hope Twinings will rethink this!
As D Hancock says, Clipper Earl Grey is a lot better than Twinings stewed-pennies-tasting concoction I hesitate to call ‘tea’. So, believe it or not, is Aldi’s Diplomat Speciality Tea, and 3/4 of the Tesco price. All these other brands must be thrilled at the Twinings gaffe. After all, changing your tea is nearly as big a loyalty hurdle as changing your bank.
I think Stepanie and Merisi are on the money here. Twinings have definitely changed their blend but not so noticeably in the last few months when they have changed their packaging. Big change was a few years back when they stopped using actual Bergamot oil and switched to “flavourings”.
You can easily tell that Bergamot oil is used because the tea bags have a yellow tinge, although that said I am sure some companies dye the teabags to make them look authentic.
Obviously your taste will vary with the water in your area as Twinings say but their “flavourings” are nowhere near as good as the real thing.
I switched to Waitrose own brand Earl Grey a few years back and now they have just ruined this by the same switch from oil to flavourings, so his is an industry-wide malaise.
The best replacement teas I have tried are by http://www.williamsontea.com who use proper ingredients and it tastes twice as good as Twinings or anything else I’ve tried recently. They have also elevated Grey in the peerage and come up with a “Duchess Grey” blend with African tea which is stronger and also excellent. It’s quite a revelation actually…
I stopped buying Twinings when I discovered they use ‘flavouring’ in their Earl Grey tea. Waitrose and Duchy both use ‘flavouring’ as well. I switched to M&S which listed Oil of Bergamot in the ingredients but alas even they now use bergamot ‘flavouring’.
I don’t wish to drink tea with pongy chemicals in it so I guess I will have to switch again. Clipper sounds promising. So long as it contains real Oil of Bergamot!