They’re royally tea’d off.
A hapless American influencer’s disastrous attempt at making a “proper” cup of tea stirred up a real brew-haha that’s left Britons seething — with some even claiming to need “therapy” after witnessing the sacrilegious display.
Kelsey Pomeroy, an eager Bridgerton fan hailing from Kansas, left the special relationship more than a little strained after sharing her tea travesty on Instagram.
In a cringe-inducing video celebrating the third season of the hit Netflix show set in the U.K., Pomeroy told followers she would be making “the perfect cup of British tea” — only to fail spectacularly.
Eyebrows shot up when Pomeroy mixed cold water and milk in a pot, boiling it into a frothy nightmare. One outraged Brit commented, “My eye is twitching with English rage.”
“I am an American learning how to make a proper cup of British tea because I’m throwing a high tea party in honor of the Bridgerton premiere,” Kelsey said, addressing her 178,000 followers.
“The internet told me to buy PG Tips and Yorkshire Gold. Someone said the perfect way is to boil the milk with the water first, then pour it on top of the tea and then add sugar. But no, I’ll put it in a pan,” she said.
The Kansas mom left her British followers bewildered as she heated up her unheard of concoction.
Looking puzzled, she asked, “How hot am I supposed to boil? Low and slow, or hot and high? I don’t know.”
Kelsey then steeped a tea bag in a mug, pouring the milky mix over it, adding a spoonful of sugar.
Unsure about the brewing time, she pondered, “One tea bag or two? The box says brew for one to two minutes, but I feel like the internet said at least three to four. Do I do one to two minutes or three to four minutes? … I let the tea bag steep for three minutes.”
Desperate for advice, she asked, “If you know how to make a proper cup of British tea, what should I change? Should I have boiled it in the kettle?”
British social media users didn’t hold back in the comments. One joked, “Sending hate from the UK x,” while another fumed, “As a Brit I’m going to need an obscene amount of therapy to get over the boiling milk.”
Another user quipped, “I think it’s funny you said you were gonna make a ‘proper cup’ of tea and then almost instantly chose violence.”
A fourth exclaimed, “WHO TF TOLD THIS WOMAN TO BOIL THE MILK.”
One even joked, “Genuinely think you may be banned from the UK for this.”
For the actual perfect cup, legendary British tea merchant Fortnum & Mason suggests beginning with loose tea leaves, which are easily available at higher-end grocery stores in the U.S.
You’ll also need a tea strainer — which can be found for a couple of bucks on Amazon.
Once you’ve handled that, here are their specific instructions for making the perfect cup of British tea:
- Fill the kettle with fresh water from the tap.
- As it approaches the boil, warm the teapot by rinsing it out with hot water.
- Treat the teapot to one rounded teaspoon of tea leaves for each person and one extra spoonful ‘for the pot’. That’s the orthodox rule, though many these days find it a little strong. You’re in charge here.
- Leave to infuse for three to five minutes, depending on taste. Serve, using a tea strainer.
- If making tea in a cup with a tea infuser, the same rule applies – one spoon of tea, use water just off the boil and infuse for 3-5 minutes.
