English afternoon tea at Claridge's Hotel is world famous and deemed the most traditional and best in London. I think it is divine! A three-tiered plate stand accompanies a formal afternoon tea celebration donning scones, tea sandwiches, assorted elegant pastries, and yummy cakes!
Sorry to surprise some of you, but that lovely social tea event served around four in the afternoon... well, it is not called “high tea”! It is correctly called “afternoon tea”. Whether served in a noble house, a grand hotel, an English country house, or your own house, it’s still called afternoon tea. The Queen simply calls it tea.
High tea, which many Americans mistake for afternoon tea, is served later in the day between five and seven in the evening. High tea is accompanied with a medley of savoury and hearty fare. It is considered to be more of a light dinner served after the workday and is often referred to as working-class tea—quite the opposite of afternoon tea!
When did this afternoon tea tradition begin? Around 1840’s the 7th Duchess of Bedford visited Belvoir Castle in England and was a bit peckish in the afternoon. Back then there were only two meals, breakfast and dinner. Dinner was traditionally served around eight or nine in the evening. To hold her hunger over until dinner, the Duchess had tea and biscuits served in her private room. Eventually, her experience was so pleasant that it morphed into a social event, taking place in her own drawing-room where other ladies were invited to join her. Afternoon tea soon became a fashionable social occasion in England.
The ritual of afternoon tea in the 1840’s was soon graced with lovely linens and fashionable accoutrements created by English china manufacturers and silversmiths—all of which continues today. Afternoon tea consists of tea, crustless sandwiches, scones, sweet cakes, pastries, and is often served while seated on the sofa or comfortable chairs. The tea is placed on a coffee table or a low table, hence it is also referred to as “low tea”.
By the way, “cream tea” is simply tea served with scones, clotted cream, and preserves. “Champagne tea” is just as you would imagine: tea served along with a glass of champagne.
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Millennial Tip
If you are invited to have afternoon tea in a noble house or an establishment like Claridge's Hotel in London, make the effort to educate yourself about English tea traditions and the expected protocol. Did you know that a scone is split apart in two with your fingers, not a knife, and that each side is eaten separately?
To learn more about tea protocol, I am honoured to know and advocate William Hanson (williamhanson.co.uk). He conducts etiquette courses in the UK and all over the world with his keen knowledge and brilliant sense of humor.
Myka Meier, founder of Beaumont Etiquette in NYC (beaumontetiquette.com) also offers courses online and at The Plaza Hotel in New York, and was introduced to me by The Glampad blog.