What Makes Afternoon Tea Special?
On rare occasions, I get invited out for a bite to eat. On even rarer occasions, I’m given the choice of where to go. Not wanting to waste this kind of opportunity, my first thought is always afternoon tea. It’s a treat I can’t resist. So what makes afternoon tea special?
Maybe it’s partly my age, but I’m becoming increasingly tired of loud pubs and restaurants that don’t always live up to my expectations. Not that I no longer frequent either when the mood takes me. But a quintessential English afternoon tea at a good venue is almost guaranteed to be a good experience. When the three-tiered stand is placed on the table laden with my favourite goodies, it really is a joyous moment. It’s always so well presented, like a work of art, and I can’t wait to get stuck in with an accompanying pot of tea.
I love the variety on offer. A generous range of sandwiches (brown and white bread with no crusts) with delicious fillings, such as smoked salmon, coronation chicken, egg and cress mayonnaise, luxury cakes, such as chocolate, coffee, victoria sponge) and scones with jam and clotted cream. There’s never an issue with faddy eaters. Nobody leaves an afternoon still feeling hungry because they didn’t get what they expected or because it wasn’t cooked to their liking. My eyes are always bigger than my stomach on these occasions, and I always leave feeling that I’ve had a full square meal.
Afternoon tea is an occasion where you can really relax and chill. You can eat what you want when you want. Have a break for a few minutes, chat for a bit and then have another scone. I find eating late afternoon the perfect time to really enjoy the experience. A heavy lunch can feel too soon after breakfast, and eating late in the evening can disrupt your sleep. The traditional 4 pm to 7 pm slot feels just right to me.
Of course, you can tailor your menu to suit your appetite or budget. A traditional cream tea with scones and a pot of tea still makes a lovely afternoon. If you’re feeling extra hungry, you could try a high tea, which can include pies, pasties and vegetables.
So, what is the history of afternoon tea, you may ask?
Anna Maria Russell (née Stanhope), the 7th Duchess of Bedford, is widely credited with introducing the custom of “afternoon tea” in the 1840s to combat hunger between lunch and dinner.
This custom quickly spread through fashionable society with sandwiches, cakes and pots of tea.
The duchess’s lifelong friend, Queen Victoria, took afternoon teas to a more formal level and on a larger scale. She held what she called ‘tea receptions’ where up to 200 guests were invited to attend for afternoon tea between 4 and 7 pm, during which time they could come and go as they pleased.
Today, afternoon tea is often taken as a special treat, perhaps to mark a celebration, such as a birthday, anniversary or pre-wedding party. Some foreign visitors still believe that everything stops for tea in Britain, similar to how some countries traditionally take an afternoon siesta. Indeed, Britain is still a nation of tea drinkers; it is one of the world’s highest consumers per capita. It’s just taken on a more informal and frequent basis than in days past.
If you haven’t tried a traditional afternoon tea. I suggest you put it on your wish list and share the experience with family or close friends. It’s a unique and wonderful way to spend a lazy afternoon.
Top image courtesy of Flickr