Barry's Gold Blend Loose Tea - 250g

In plenty of British and Irish kitchens, Barry's is not a brand so much as a household position. Gold Blend is the one that sits by the kettle, the one visitors get offered without being asked, and the one that runs out at the worst possible moment.

People in Canada go looking for it because tea is the habit that travels hardest. You can adjust to new shops, new money and new weather, but the first cup of the morning is not up for negotiation, and it needs to taste like the kitchen you left.

The 250g bag of loose leaf keeps well in a tin or caddy with a tight lid, away from the stove and anything strongly scented. Warm the pot, a spoonful per person and one for the pot, let it sit a few minutes, then pour through a strainer. Milk goes in after, whatever your aunt says.

It goes with the things that always went with tea: a packet of digestives, a slice of toast with real butter, or a fruit loaf cut far too thick. Pick up a few biscuits while you are at it, because a pot this size deserves company.