A well-brewed strong black tea, softened with a splash of milk. 'Builder's tea', named after construction workers, is the national drink in its humblest and most comforting form.

Why this dish? No British day, and especially no film shoot, holds up without tea. 'Builder's tea' — strong, with milk, sweetened — is the social fuel that punctuates breaks, seals conversations and accompanies every decision on set. It's the most ordinary and most universal gesture in Haigh's life.

On a set, tea fixes absolutely everything. Someone asks 'tea?' and suddenly everyone breathes, we take a break, we really talk. I take it strong, the bag left in until it's almost too much, a splash of milk, one sugar. It's not refined, it's a worker's tea, and that's exactly why I love it. A good cup of tea, sometimes, is all you need to start again.

How it was made : Tea with milk became established in Britain in the 18th century and became the quintessential popular drink in the 19th with mass imports from India and Ceylon. The term 'builder's tea' has referred since the 20th century to the strong, sweet version taken by construction workers on their breaks.

The contemporary twist : Served in a chipped film-set mug, with a biscuit for dunking — nothing more, nothing less.

Andrew Haigh · Charactorium