From steaming teapots filled with the finest oriental teas to scrumptious scones and pink fondant fancies, the post lunch, pre dinner delight that is Afternoon Tea is one of the great British institutions.
Where it had once lost a substantial amount of ground to its rather sexier international counterpart, coffee, recent years has seen traditional Afternoon Tea make something of a comeback.
The origins of Afternoon Tea can be traced back to the early 1800s, where the 7th Duchess of Bedford is said to have been the first person to start taking Afternoon Tea. Living in an age where people most commonly ate two meals per day, with breakfast being served very early in the morning and dinner later in the evening, the young Duchess would often be weakened, irritated and left feeling peckish by the afternoon. It was then that she decided to have a small snack and some tea as a means of tiding herself over until dinner time.
At first the Duchess would take her Afternoon Tea in the privacy of her own bedroom, however, she started to invite friends and other close confidantes to join her at Woburn Abbey, where they would exchange news and stories over a selection of tea and other light refreshments. This quickly grew into a popular social event, where the upper classes would entertain one another in drawing rooms up and down the country.
The Afternoon Tea Menu
When it comes to taking Afternoon Tea, there are no set rules about what should be included in a traditional Afternoon Tea menu. However, it will usually consist of a variety of freshly made finger sandwiches and a variety of sweet cakes and other treats.
Some of the classic sandwiches that are often served with Afternoon Tea include smoked salmon with cream cheese, cucumber, egg mayonnaise with cress and ham and mustard.
Sandwiches are then followed by homemade scones with cream and jam before finishing off with a selection of cakes and pastries.
A selection of teas (and sometimes coffee) will also be served. Depending on where you go for Afternoon Tea, the variety of teas on offer can range from half a dozen to more than one hundred. Some of the most common teas on offer normally include Assam, Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Lapsang.
Of course, there are numerous variations of Afternoon Tea, with some including champagne, real ale, gin and tonic, a selection of cheeses and even a small side portion of chips.
Five of the best places for Afternoon Tea
Throughout the UK there are no shortage of places in which to take Afternoon Tea. From lavish London hotels to charming rural retreats, here are a selection of some of the best places for Afternoon Tea.
The Goring, Belgravia
Visitors to London are spoilt for choice with luxurious settings serving up the traditional Afternoon Tea. Whilst honorable mentions should go to the likes of Claridges, The Dorchester in Mayfair and Fortum and Masons, The Goring in Belgravia recently won the Tea Guild’s prestigious ‘Top London Afternoon Tea’ award for 2013 after gaining a near perfect score from the judging panel.
Guests can enjoy Afternoon Tea, which consists of dainty and delicious finger sandwiches, scrumptious homemade scones, with an excellent range of carefully selected teas amongst elegant surroundings and unbeatable presentation and service.
Served daily from 3pm to 4.30pm. From £37.50.
The Ritz, St James’s
Afternoon Tea at The Ritz is an institution in itself, with the hotel needing no introduction whatsoever. In 2013 The Ritz received an Award of Excellence from The Tea Guild in recognition of its consistently high standards of Afternoon Tea service.
The dress code of The Ritz is smart, with no exceptions. Gentlemen are required to wear a dinner jacket and tie. Jeans, trainers and other similar attire are most certainly not permitted.
Once you’re suitably dressed, tuck into an assortment of freshly made sandwiches including Scottish salmon with lemon butter, chicken breast with horseradish and egg mayonnaise with chopped shallots, followed by homemade raisin and plain scones with Cornish clotted cream and strawberry preserve.
For those who are in an a celebratory mood, celebration tea with champagne is available from £67.00.
Sittings for Afternoon Tea are from 11:30 – 13:30 – 15:30 – 17:30 – 19:30
The Grosvenor, Chester
The Chester Grosvenor offers some of the finest Afternoon Tea outside of London. Prices for traditional Afternoon Tea start from a very reasonable £26.00.
However, if you’re wanting to experience something extra special, try the truly indulgent gentleman’s Afternoon Tea, where one can add a tipple of Eastgate Ale or a Gin and Tonic to be enjoyed alongside your Afternoon Tea.
This hearty fare replaces traditional finger food and French fancies with doorstep sandwiches, a portion of chunky chips and a serving of Appleby Cheshire Cheese. There is also a hazelnut brownie and a large slab of traditional English fruit cake to finish, all of which can be enjoyed in the first floor Gallery where you can admire the hotels magnificent Georgian chandelier, whilst taking in the grandeur of the main staircase.
The Balmoral, Edinburgh
The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh has been one of the city’s most famous landmarks for more than a century. Its magnificent clock tower dominates the skyline and guests of the 5 star hotel are greeted by a footman dressed in a traditional Scottish kilt. Afternoon Tea is served in the hotel’s famous Palm Court. With more than 20 traditional loose leaf teas to choose from and a variety of homemade sandwiches and scones, you’ll struggle to find a more suitable location north of the border for your afternoon refreshments.
The Afternoon Tea menu at The Balmoral also includes traditional Balmoral shortbread (of course!), as well as Dundee cake, chocolate tiffin and classic sponge cake.
From £25.00 per person or £40.00 with a glass of champagne. Afternoon Tea is served between 12pm and 5:30pm daily.
Ynyshir Hall, Powys, South Wales
Ynyshir Hall was once owned by Queen Victoria and overlooks the Dovey Estuary. The 12 room manor house is set within 12 acres of beautifully landscaped gardens in the heart of what
is widely considered one of Wales’s most outstanding areas of natural beauty.
The hotel is surrounded by a bird reserve, with the interiors furnished throughout with contemporary colour schemes, antiques and paintings.
Welsh Afternoon Tea is available from 2pm to 5pm every day and includes traditional Welsh Bara Brith which is served with clotted cream and jam. From £22.50 per person.
The watch: Audemars Piguet Jules Audemars
The Jules Audemars watch has an undeniably classic appeal and will fit in well with the Afternoon Tea crowd found at The Ritz, or anywhere else for that matter. The 41mm 18k rose gold watch is named after one of the founders of the Audemars manufacture and includes a self winding calibre 2120 movement which has 36 jewels and provides a power reserve of 40 hours. From £17, 980.
