I am somewhat confused about how you think the Brits drink their tea: first you say: "neat; that is, without milk and sugar, which is a typical way of drinking British tea.", then you go on to writing: "In standard English tradition, we poured in some milk and a spoonful of sugar". I of course as a Brit think that your last statement is right: the British take milk (see, for example, Asterix in Britain, where the Brits are seen to drink hot water with a drop of milk, haha).

Are you saying Americans believe you should drink British tea without milk? Strange.

As for trying: I know PG tips well and prefer Typhoo. PG tips have a very coarse taste, only drinkable with vast quantities of milk. Of course, the real British way in a caf is to have a large pot going with numerous teabags inside, and then you just pour on boiling water occasionally without refreshing the bags. Sounds disgusting, but it's actually quite satisfying in a rough and ready way.

Thank you for introducing me to Builder's tea – must get some next time I'm in England …

A thankful TeaFairy