flipBuilder's Tea (strong tea with milk)
Builder's Tea (strong tea with milk)
Why this dish? Builder's tea — very strong black tea, milk and sugar — is the fuel of British workshops and building sites. McQueen, who worked relentlessly preparing his shows and often ate on the go, lived to the rhythm of these strong cups that punctuated long days in the atelier.
A strong black tea, steeped until almost amber-red, softened with a splash of milk and one or two sugars. The most democratic drink in Britain.
When you're in the middle of putting together a collection, you don't have time to eat, but tea, never skip that. You let the bag steep fully — pale tea is an insult — a splash of milk, two sugars, and you're off. It's not refined, it's not chic, it's worker's tea, and that's exactly why I love it. All night in the studio it ran on that: tea, tea, more tea.
- •Strong black tea — 1 good dose (infusion)
- •Boiling water — 1 cup (infusion)
- •Milk — a splash (soften)
- •Sugar — 1 to 2 spoons (sweeten)
Builder's Tea (strong tea with milk)
A strong black tea, steeped until almost amber-red, softened with a splash of milk and one or two sugars. The most democratic drink in Britain.
Why this dish? Builder's tea — very strong black tea, milk and sugar — is the fuel of British workshops and building sites. McQueen, who worked relentlessly preparing his shows and often ate on the go, lived to the rhythm of these strong cups that punctuated long days in the atelier.
When you're in the middle of putting together a collection, you don't have time to eat, but tea, never skip that. You let the bag steep fully — pale tea is an insult — a splash of milk, two sugars, and you're off. It's not refined, it's not chic, it's worker's tea, and that's exactly why I love it. All night in the studio it ran on that: tea, tea, more tea.
Ingredients (period version)
- Strong black tea — 1 good dose (infusion)
- Boiling water — 1 cup (infusion)
- Milk — a splash (soften)
- Sugar — 1 to 2 spoons (sweeten)
Ingredients
- Strong black tea bag (English Breakfast) — 1 (infusion)
- Simmering water — 250 ml (infusion)
- Whole milk — 30 ml (soften)
- Sugar — 1 to 2 tsp (sweeten)
Method
- Scald the cup or teapot (a typically British gesture).
- Pour simmering water over the tea bag and steep for 3 to 5 minutes — it must be very dark.
- Press and remove the bag.
- Add milk to achieve a light caramel colour, then sugar, and stir.
How it was made : The tradition of strong sweet milky tea became rooted in the British working classes in the 19th and 20th centuries: cheap, calorific thanks to milk and sugar, it warmed and sustained workers and artisans through long days of labour.
The contemporary twist : Serve it in a chipped enamel mug, no ceremony — the anti-afternoon-tea, raw and unapologetic.
Alexander McQueen · Charactorium
