What Is Afternoon Tea?

It is no surprise there is a lot of confusion surrounding the British tradition of afternoon tea. You may see advertising and menus for afternoon tea, Devon cream tea, Cornwall cream tea, high tea, and just plain tea… so what is afternoon tea really?

The History of Afternoon Tea

Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, unwittingly invented afternoon tea in the early 19th century. Dinner was – and is – served much later in England, generally between 7.30 and 9 pm. The Duchess often felt hungry between lunch and dinner, so she would order tea, bread and cakes to fill the hungry gap. When she invited friends to join her in this afternoon treat everyone enjoyed it so much, afternoon tea became a well-loved tradition.

In days gone by, British folk would regularly enjoy breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and then dinner or supper. This is much less common now. Modern life does not really allow us to pause for afternoon tea on a regular basis, and if it did, we would definitely need to schedule extra visits to the gym!!

High Tea versus Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea originally referred to the tradition enjoyed by the upper classes, people like the Duchess of Bedford and her friends. Conversely, High Tea was a meal eaten between 5 and 7pm by the lower classes. A heavier meal designed to refresh and sustain after a day of hard work, it usually consisted of meat pies or a stew. Tea itself, as in the drink, was an expensive luxury so in many cases, people were more likely to enjoy a beer with their high tea back in the day.

I was once invited to high tea at a farm in Wales. It was a chilly autumn day and the family and farm hands had been in the fields all day, so they needed a hearty meal. The table was laden with meat pies, stews, and other hearty main course choices as well as several whole apple pies, cakes, and biscuits (cookies). Everyone tucked into all the delicious choices on offer alongside warming cups of tea. I have never been so comfortably full in my life.

So although High Tea sounds like it is more luxurious than Afternoon Tea, the opposite is actually true. As a result of this confusion, you may notice that sometimes restaurants in other countries refer to serving ‘high tea’ when what they actually have on offer is what the British would call ‘afternoon tea’.

What is ‘Tea’ Then (Aside from a Drink)?!

The meal eaten by British families early in the evening (what would be called supper in North America) is often referred to as ‘tea’, even though no tea may be drunk at all. Not everyone refers to this meal as ‘tea’ though – it really depends on your family history and where you live. Many people refer to this meal as ‘dinner’.

In some homes, children are still occasionally served a meal around 4 or 5 pm instead of eating dinner later on with their parents, and this is referred to as ‘tea’ as well.

‘Supper’ is generally a lighter meal served if you are eating much later in the evening, say, after you have been to the theatre or a concert.

So, What is Afternoon Tea Today?

Afternoon tea is the well-loved tradition of serving sandwiches, scones and cakes with cups of tea as a meal or snack in the afternoon. It is very much a treat and not a regular meal served on a daily basis.

Afternoon tea generally consists of a first course of finger sandwiches, such as cucumber, Coronation chicken, smoked salmon, ham or egg. The fillings and bread vary and can be quite inventive. Traditionally, the crusts are cut off the bread and the sandwiches are then sliced in rectangles, or ‘fingers’, hence the name ‘finger sandwiches’. This is not always the case though.

The second course is scones with jam and cream, and the third course consists of small cakes and pastries.

The courses may be served on a three tiered tea tray, or they may be brought to you course by course on individual serving plates. In the UK, if a three-tiered tea plate is used, you will generally find the sandwiches on the bottom plate, the scones in the middle, and the cakes and pastries on the top. Traditionally you start at the bottom with the sandwiches and then make your way up the tiers.

However, afternoon tea can also be a much simpler affair.

The tea tray in the photo above one that arrived we ordered tea to our room on one of our stays at The Ritz Hotel. (The shortbread cookies in the background are my favourite shortbread cookies in the whole world.) Afternoon tea at their Palm Court Restaurant is much more lavish but I love this simple tea tray too.

What Goes on The Scone First – Jam or Clotted Cream?

Scones are normally served with clotted cream and jam – but which goes on the scone first?

This is a hotly debated topic, with two equally impassioned sides to the debate. There is the tradition from Devon of splitting the scone in half and then spreading it first with with cream and then topping the cream with jam and the tradition from Cornwall of spreading the split scone with jam first and then topping the jam with cream.

I suggest you adopt whichever method you please because in my experience, the resulting scones taste exactly the same. I personally find it easier from a logistical perspective to spread the split scone with cream first – as if it were butter – and then top the cream with jam.

Afternoon Tea Glossary

Afternoon Tea – a three to four course meal consisting of finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream, pastries and cakes served with copious amounts of tea.

That said, you can absolutely invite someone to afternoon tea and just serve tea and scones with jam and cream, but if you are in the UK it is best to clarify this, otherwise your guest may skip a meal to leave room for a full afternoon tea and then be quietly disappointed.

Champagne Afternoon Tea – a full afternoon tea as described above, but with a glass (or two) of champagne as well as tea. You can also serve champagne alongside a simpler afternoon tea as well.

Tea – either a cup of tea, or a casual main evening meal served between 5 and 7pm, comparable to ‘supper’ in North America.

Nursery Tea – a light evening meal served to children in the nursery before they go to bed. This meal was often prepared by a nanny. This is less common today, although it does still happen in some families.

High Tea – A casual, hearty meal – generally meat pie, casserole or stew served alongside a pot of tea. There may also be desserts.

Cream Tea – a pot of tea served with scones, jam and clotted cream. There are generally no sandwiches or cakes.

Devon Cream Tea – As above, but the scone is split in half and then spread first with clotted cream, and then with a spoonful of jam.

Cornish Cream Tea – As per Cream Tea, the scone is split in half and spread it first with a spoonful of jam, and then clotted cream.

Scones – Scones in England are generally round, not triangular like the scones you get in Ireland, Scotland or North America. British scones may be plain, studded with raisins, or (very occasionally) dried fruit such as apricots. They are rarely, if ever, iced, frosted or glazed.

Cheese Scones – These are served warm with butter. Although very delicious, they are less often seen at a traditional afternoon tea. I am working on changing this! You can also serve cheese scones alongside a bowl of soup for lunch.

Clotted Cream – Full cream milk or cream (whole milk/heavy cream) is heated with steam or over an indirect heat. The hot milk is left to cool in shallow plates and clots (also known as clouts) form. The resulting clotted cream is stored in a refrigerator and served cold. It tastes much better than it sounds! In the UK, it is easy to find commercially prepared clotted cream in most supermarkets.

Cuppa – Cuppa is a colloquialism for ‘cup of tea’ used in informal settings, usually with family or friends. So if someone asks, “Fancy a cuppa?” they are asking if you want a cup of tea in a friendly, conversational way.

Builders – This is slang for strong, well-steeped tea, usually made from a brand of tea you would buy in the grocery store (as opposed to a speciality shop). “Make mine a builders” (not generally a phrase you would hear at a formal afternoon tea) means “I would like a cup of good, strong tea.”

How Do You Pronounce Scone?

Again, this is hotly debated. Is it ‘scone’ as in ‘bone’, or ‘scone’ as in ‘gone’?

Pronunciation tends to vary by geography. According to The Telegraph newspaper, those in the Scotland and the North of England tend to say scone as in gone, and the Midlands and London stick with scone as in bone. I use both pronunciations and it always seems whichever I choose is considered incorrect at the time!

That said, there is no wrong way, except in some very stubborn peoples’ opinions. Again, don’t fret about it.

So, Can It Get Any More Confusing?

It sure can! There is also a village in Scotland called Scone which is pronounced ‘Skoon’!

When Is Afternoon Tea Served?

Until recently afternoon tea was only served between 4 and 6pm . However, many top hotels now serve afternoon tea anytime between noon and 8.30pm. This is generally because there is just so much food. You would be hard pressed to eat breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner. More flexible timings mean you can have afternoon tea instead of lunch or dinner.

Also some of the more famous restaurants and hotels have a very high demand for tables, booking up literally months in advance. The Ritz Hotel in London, for example, serves afternoon tea at 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm and 7.30pm. In addition to allowing people more choice, it also means they can serve more people. If you fancy tea at The Ritz, be sure to book early!

Do I Have To Dress Up?

It depends on where you go. Most small restaurants or tea rooms are very casual. High end hotels sometimes expect you to dress up for afternoon tea, but not always. It is worth checking if you are unsure. For example, The Ritz Hotel has a very strict dress code and you will not be admitted if you are not dressed according to it.

Where are the Best Places to Have Afternoon Tea?

These are my favourite places for afternoon tea in London. I’m always discovering new favourites so the post is updated regularly. I also love afternoon tea at Sally Lunn’s in Bath and at Betty’s of Harrogate.

Recipes for Afternoon Tea

Check out these posts for inspiration and recipes to help you recreate a delicious afternoon tea at home.

Platinum Jubilee Afternoon Tea

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Raspberry Bakewell Tart Squares

Madeira Cake

Homemade Clotted Cream – A Tutorial