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Fish-fancying DJ chats leaf Famed for his fish-themed song titles and quirky DJ sets, it comes as little suprise to hear that Mr Scruff has his own brand of tea, entitled Make Us A brew. Following the success of the flagship Mint & Chilli blend, he is about to launch a pair of new herbal varieties, Big Chill, and Look Lively (like smack and crack for tea drinkers?). So to celebrate, we caught up with the man himself to talk leaf, dunking, and at what stage to put the milk in. How many are you on per day at the moment? I used to be a 15 a day man, but it’s more like 5 nowadays. Milk first or last? Normally last, but milk first is acceptable if you are using a pot, or if you use this technique: Boil the kettle with fresh water - no reboiling Warm the mug, you can do this by pouring in a little warm water from the kettle while it is boiling, swishing it around and emptying it. This will help keep your brew warm for longer, essential for forgetful types like myself Pour milk into the cup. If this offends you, you can always add it later Take a spoon (tablespoons are best, but a teaspoon will do) Place the teabag on the spoon, and hold it horizontally over the mug When the kettle has boiled, hold it over the teabag, and pour as slowly as possible from as high as possible, without letting the water splash upwards off the teabag. If you are doing this correctly, you will see little bubbles in the teabag - this is a sign of the oxygen in the boiling water doing its job When the cup is full, add the milk if you have not done so, and examine your brew. If your tea is the correct colour (mine is a kind of brick red/malty brown) then you can discard the teabag. If it is not strong enough for your taste, then delicately lower the teabag onto the top of the tea, and slip the spoon out from under it. Leave it there until the brew is strong enough, and gently remove the bag with the spoon. There is no need to stir the bag or squash it in any way - tease the flavour out Add sugar/salt/cheese/pickle to taste Sit down and enjoy your brew Repeat from stage 1 Do you strain? Or does that spoil the fun? I only strain when lifting a MASSIVE teapot. Remember to bend your knees, not your back. Good one. Why does the first tea of the day taste so good? After spending the whole night dreaming about tea, it is the best thing you could possibly drink. Of course, you need to be extra vigilant about your brewing technique, what with being a bit clumsy and tired first thing in the morning. Do you dunk? If so, what? Not really, but digestives or ginger nuts do occasionally take a dip. Do you have any thrifty tea tips? Always use a pot where possible. Compost the tea bags, then grow some tea plants using the composted tea bags, saving yourself loads of money. Which brand of tea did you grow up on? You know, I can’t remember. Is that bad? Yes. Can I have a teapot? As long as you promise to regularly brew up for everyone. Of course. Who makes the best brew? Everybody thinks that they make the best brew. Mine are pretty good. Do you ever drink coffee? Yes, I have a lot of late nights and early mornings when i am DJing, and a good espresso can come in very handy. Favourite tune to make tea to? The Pimps Of Joytime’s Tea Time. Favourite tea to make a tune to? Make Us A Brew Teas. I tend to rotate the English breakfast and herbals, to keep me on my toes. Whenever I am in Ireland, I always bring back a tin of Campbells loose leaf tea too. How much do you love Thrifty Gobbler? It is a great name, and the website is pretty cheeky, which is never a bad thing. We do try. - http://www.thriftygobbler.com/45/

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