A STORM brewed over Darwen yesterday but it wasn’t enough to stop the world’s biggest tea party.

Celebrity chef Heston Blumenthal and his entourage of chefs and scientists brought back the old English tradition of the tea break on a huge scale.

A giant teapot boiled 500 litres of water and the world’s biggest pyramid teabag – 2,000 times the size of an ordinary one – was dropped in.

It was then poured into a huge teacup, and snacks from the world’s largest packet of biscuits were dunked into the tea as it was passed around the crowd.

About 500 Darreners turned out to watch the TV star, renowned for his unusual takes on some English classics.

The Clitheroe vintage Miles Fox Haulage truck, which carried the teapot, stopped in the Market Square to loud cheers and Mr Blumenthal shouted: “Hello Darwen.”

He said: “Thanks for coming. We have come to Darwen as we are at the heart of the industrial revolution – and the tea break.

“We want to bring back the tea break on a massive scale.”

Mayor of Darwen Eileen Entwistle said: “I was pleased to welcome Heston to Darwen.

“In all the factories around the town we used to have tea breaks and it is nice to remember that.”

Steven Ashworth, 25, of Sarah Street, said: “It is great to see Heston in Darwen.”

Three Day Market trader Brenda Cronshaw said: “It is fantastic. It is uplifting. Every town needs a Heston.”

This was the second episode of a series to be screened later this year. The first was in Gloucester where Heston made the world’s biggest ice cream.