Traditional afternoon tea, sometimes mistakenly called high tea, is a British tradition that began in the early 19th century when a friend of Queen Victoria, Anna, Duchess of Bedford, complained of a “sinking feeling” during the long interval between meals. To solve the problem, she began inviting friends over to drink tea with her in the late afternoon. The tea was accompanied by cakes, delicate sandwiches and other sweet treats. As is often the case with trends started by the aristocracy, this elite private social event soon caught on with other classes, and the ritual of afternoon tea eventually became a fashion enjoyed both at home and in hotels and other venues across Britain.
A traditional afternoon tea is not something you enjoy every day. It is a special occasion, an opportunity to spend time with friends and family, and is as much about the ambience and the company as it is about the food and drink. Usually served in the late afternoon, starting between three and four o’clock, an afternoon tea lasts 2 – 3 hours. Attendees dress up and the setting can range from the intimacy of a home to the opulence of a luxury hotel. Whatever the setting, the emphasis is on elegance, sumptuousness and taking time to savour the experience, with food served on a three-tiered etagere, tea served in fine bone china teacups and the table set with crisp white linen.
Tea is, of course, at the heart of a traditional afternoon tea. Traditional choices include black teas such as Earl Grey, Assam and Darjeeling. Today, however, afternoon tea often includes a variety of green, white and herbal infusions to cater for all tastes and to enrich the afternoon tea experience by pairing different teas with different food elements. Find out more about our recommendations for which teas to pair with the different courses of a traditional afternoon tea here.
To add a touch of glamour to afternoon tea, it needs to be served on the best fine bone china you can find. With every cup, saucer and plate a work of art, the exquisite patterns and designs that decorate typical British fine bone china are a feast for the eyes and a conversation starter for your guests. We believe that serving afternoon tea on, for example, Wedgwood Fine Bone China takes the whole afternoon tea experience to a higher level of elegance and sophistication, helping to create an unforgettable experience for your guests.
The food elements of afternoon tea – sandwiches, scones and sweet treats – are served on a three-tiered cake stand. Think of each plate in the etagere as one of three courses in a meal. Starting from the bottom plate and working up, the finger sandwiches are the first course, the scones, which can be sweet and/or savoury and are best served warm, are the second course, and the delicate tarts and sweet treats on the top plate are the sumptuous dessert.
Finger sandwiches are designed to be eaten with your fingers and are small, crustless sandwiches filled with a variety of ingredients such as cucumber, egg salad, smoked salmon and chicken. We recommend a choice of four different flavours and at least two different types of bread. For details of our favourite finger sandwiches for afternoon tea please see our article “Finger sandwiches for traditional afternoon tea: Ideas and recipes“.
Ideally served fresh from the oven, scones are the second course at an afternoon tea, presented on the centre plate of the etagere. Whether you include savoury or sweet scones on your menu is a matter of choice, but sweet scones, served with strawberry or raspberry jam and clotted cream, are essential for the perfect afternoon tea.
Find out more about serving scones and download my recipe for scones here.
The final course of a traditional afternoon tea comprises a variety of sweet treats, typically mini versions of pastries such as eclairs, cream puffs, and fruit tarts, along with miniature versions of cakes, such as petits fours or cake slices and even macarons. Unless you are a talented baker and have unlimited time we suggest buying in this part of your afternoon tea.
London is renowned as one of the world’s leading destinations for afternoon tea. From iconic venues such as The Ritz and Claridge’s to quirky Sketch or the Afternoon Tea Bus Tour, London’s afternoon tea scene caters for all tastes and preferences. For more inspiration on what to include in your afternoon tea at home, and honest insights into how traditional afternoon tea is served in London’s best hotels, check out the “Afternoon Tea and Eating out in London” YouTube playlist by London-based vloger Hannah Ricketts.
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