Description

Afternoon tea is an English tradition consisting of tea and a light meal eaten between 3pm and 5pm. Little sandwiches, breads, pastries, loose leaf tea and a glass of champagne set the stage for the perfect tea party.

Consider hosting an afternoon tea party for a bridal shower, baby shower, Mother’s Day, or a girls get-together.

Afternoon Vs. High Tea

An Afternoon Tea is served around 3:00. There would be small pastries with clotted cream or preserves, delicate sandwiches, and scones. A High Tea is served later (around five or six in the evening) and consisted of a full, dinner meal for the common people. Tea was still served, but there would also be meats, fish or eggs, cheese, bread and butter, and cake. It was more of a man’s meal, than a ladies social diversion.

Both of these traditions had a lot to do with the fact that dinner was served late around 8 or 9:00 at night. Therefore the teas were little meals during the day to get them through dinner time.

Invitations / Decorations

Bring out your best China or other fun plates and serving pieces you otherwise never get to use, and set the table for tea.

There is no set rhyme or reason to how you display all of your tea menu items, so have some fun with it. I often put down white linens, display a bouquet of flowers, set up champagne glasses and tea cups, and bring out my 3-tier server to display sandwiches on the top, scones on the middle, and pastries on the bottom tier. However you decide to display your tea service, do serve all of your items at once — it makes for a beautiful show and allows you to sit and enjoy yourself with your guests.

Party Favors / Activities

This is of course optional but ideas that come to mind are sachets of tea to try at home with a message tied to it like "Thank you for coming to Tea".

Food / Beverages

Afternoon Tea Menu
Tea (served with cream and sugar to your liking)
Scones (served with Devonshire or clotted cream and jam)
Cucumber sandwiches
Egg salad sandwiches
Chicken salad sandwiches
Smoked salmon sandwiches

Other Tea Menu Ideas
Champagne
Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Lemon curd (to be served with scones and breads)
Lemon cookies or bars
Madeleine cookies
Quiche
Banana or Ginger bread
Cream puffs
Pound cake
Macaroon cookies
Chocolate truffles
Mini fruit tarts

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1. Hosting an Afternoon Tea Party
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