Afternoon tea at home in England

Maybe you've heard of the famous British tradition of afternoon tea, started in 1840 by the Duchess of Bedford.

At the time evening meals in fashionable households were held later, around eight o'clock. Since there was a big gap between lunch and dinner time, the Duchess asked for a tray of tea, bread and and cake to be brought to her at around four o'clock in the afternoon. This evolved into afternoon tea. Fashionable upper-class women would change into long gowns and attend afternoon tea with their friends.

A traditional afternoon tea usually includes small sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam and some cakes. Tea is usually served in elegant tea cups. Even today, you can try this style of afternoon tea in many hotels and tearooms. A champagne afternoon tea is also recommended if you are celebrating a special occassion.

Modern afternoon tea at home or in a cafe is often more casual and relaxed, sometimes just consisting of a cup of tea and a slice of cake or a couple of biscuits. Other finger foods such as small pies or pastries may be served.

In the case of my family, we are quite traditional and we happen to own a formal tea set with a 2-tier cake tray and a set of dessert cutlery. Dessert cutlery, especially the dessert fork, is smaller and more delicate than the cutlery used for a main course at lunch or dinner. Our afternoon tea is usually held to celebrate special occassions. In the photo, you can see the tea we held to celebrate Mother's Day on March 19th, 2023. My mother was very happy with it!

If you would like to hear more about British culture, or ask me about British English, I have a free talk lesson available. We can enjoy relaxed conversation and I'll send full feedback in the review after the lesson.

I would be delighted if you could tell me about your culture, too!