Does being a professor of food science and nutrition mean you get away with making a claim as bold as this one?
We’ll let you be the judge.
Professor Alan Mackie, from the School of Food Science and Nutrition at Leeds University, has come out on record to suggest that you may want to add the milk to your tea first if you’re looking to make the best cuppa.
Now, we know that talking to Brits about brews is a very delicate business, because simply put, Brits love a brew, and it was even found last year that we’ve been buying tea more than ever during lockdown – with an additional £24 million spent on the stuff in a four week period – but after what feels like a debate that’s been dragging on for a lifetime, with just about everyone from your Grandad and Auntie, to even a ‘professional tea taster’ chucking their opinion into the mix, has Professor Mackie finally cracked the code?
Is this really the way to make a perfect cup of tea?
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According to Professor Mackie, it’s all down to whether or not you live in a hard water area.
If you do live in an area that’s known for its hard water – which Greater Manchester doesn’t have to worry too much about – then you need to be putting the milk in before the water to get maximum taste from your tea.
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“Flavour by and large is produced by the different compounds in tea including tannins in particular,” Professor Mackie says.
“The more minerals present in water, the more difficult it is for these compounds to develop the flavour [which] results in the dull cuppas you get in hard water areas [so] making tea the traditional way results in the tannins turning into solids before they can develop the flavour properly.
“But, if the milk is added at the start of the steeping process then its proteins can bind to the tannins and other minerals in the water.
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“[This] prevents them from turning solid, which in turn gives you a far superior flavour.”
Professor Mackie – who has more than three decades of experience at the forefront of his field – made this revelation as part of research carried out by Chorley-based hot tap manufacturer INTU Boiling Water Taps, with Managing Director Kieran Taylor-Bradshaw adding that Professor Mackie has “unrivalled understanding of the complex interplay of compounds” that go into producing the flavour of tea.
INTU Boiling Water Taps
Kieran continued: “A decent cuppa brings joy and brightens the day,
“But for too many, it remains a distant dream with hard water to blame [so by] enlisting the services of the nation’s foremost food scientist, we’re delighted to be able to bring an end to the misery that blights millions of lives”.
Whether or not you’re outraged by this claim or just don’t fancy taking any of this information on board is completely up to you, but after all, with Greater Manchester known for its widespread soft water supply, maybe we can just crack on with our lives as usual?
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It’s your call.
Featured Image – INTU Boiling Water Taps
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You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend – but only if you have certain names
Emily Sergeant
Hungry Mancs can help themselves to free sandwiches this bank holiday weekend… but there’s a bit of a catch.
You can only get yourself a sandwich if you have one of these particular names.
We’ve been enjoying some absolutely stunning sunshine across Greater Manchester and much of the UK over the past couple of months, and nothing says sunny days more than taking a packed lunch or grabbing a meal deal and taking it to your local park or greenspace for a picnic.
This is why Pret A Manger has decided to make picnics easier for those who are lucky enough to have a certain type of name.
This late May bank holiday weekend, the popular high street coffee shop chain will be dishing out hundreds of free sandwiches across the UK – including here in Manchester – to anyone whose name happens to start with ‘Nic’.
That means people called Nick, Nicholas, Nicola, Nicole, Nico, Nicolette, and plenty of others could be in with a chance of some free feasting over these next couple of days.
You can get FREE sandwiches in Manchester this weekend / Credit: Wikimedia Commons | Supplied
Here in Manchester, it’s the chain’s Portland Street site, just off Piccadilly Gardens, that’s participating in the free giveaway this weekend, and there’ll be 50 sandwiches a day given out, so you’ll need to be quick if your name starts with ‘Nic’ and you’re feeling peckish.
The offer is only limited to Pret’s freshly-made sandwiches, and unfortunately excludes baguettes, wraps, or rye rolls… but free food is better than no food, after all.
All you’ll need to do to grab a freebie is show your ID at the tills of participating stores this Saturday (24 May) to prove your name, and you’ll get to walk out with your lunch in hand, all without having to spend a penny.
Manchester’s Portland Street Pret A Manger will be giving out 50 free sandwiches to ‘Nics’ this Saturday, and they’re on a first-come-first-served basis.
Featured Image – Eaters Collective (via Unsplash)
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BBC needs adventurous Mancs to take part in next series of Race Across the World
Emily Sergeant
Are you a fan of travelling? Got a bit of a competitive streak in your nature? This might just be your calling then.
The BBC is currently casting for the next series of Race Across the World.
The BAFTA-winning hit show is currently airing to thousands of viewers each week, but with the next series now in the works, producers are on the look-out for ‘intrepid duos’ of all ages who reckon they’re ready to take a step into the unknown, and embark on an epic race across land and sea – and that includes Greater Manchester residents.
With applications for the next series of the massively-popular show now open, nomadic Mancs are being encouraged to take part.
On a limited budget and away from the luxuries of modern technology and conveniences, those lucky applicants selected to take part in the next series will get the chance to experience life in some of the world’s most beautiful and remote locations.
BBC is looking for Mancs to take part in next series of Race Across the World / Credit: BBC
Navigating their way across thousands of miles, they’ll travel through spectacular scenery and dynamic cities, visit ancient wonders, learn local customs, and take part in time-honoured traditions.
But, as producers are keen to point out, “the physical journey is only half of the story”.
That’s because, as the contestants take on the challenge of travelling across the world, the greatest thing they’ll discover along the way could actually be about themselves and one another.
Putting out a UK-wide casting call on the BBC website this week, producers Studio Lambert wrote: “We are now accepting applications for the next series of Race Across the World. This experience is open to all, whether you’re a seasoned traveller or total novice.
“We want to hear what undertaking a trip like this would mean to you, and with a cash prize at stake, what lengths you would go to to win.
Applications for the massively-popular show are now open / Credit: BBC
“Maybe you’re looking to change something in your life? Or are keen to share the journey with someone special like a family member, best friend, or someone you’ve lost touch with. You may even have a very personal reason for wanting to travel at this time in your life or explore a particular part of the world.”
Fancy it then?
Applications for the third series of Race Across the World are now open for anyone over 18 years of age, with a deadline date of 6 July 2025, and you can find out more information and apply via the BBC website.