Which type of tea you choose to throw will set the time of day and mood that you gather your friends. Just as there is a big difference between high tea and afternoon tea, an even less fussy tea option is the cream tea, which is tea served with scones, clotted cream, and jam. When the higher classes adopted this trend, it was more often used when servants weren’t available as a less formal meal time. Instead, they would arrive home from work in the evening to a meal served with tea. While afternoon tea is a social event, high tea is more of a necessary meal that first began in the lower classes, who did not have the idle time or finances for a social afternoon tea.
High tea is more of a light supper, served in the early evening, often at a dining table with heartier food options like meat, bread, eggs, and a full dessert. This gained it the name of low tea, due to often being served at a low coffee table or sitting room. Afternoon tea is not as fancy as most assume but is a more casual tea trademarked by the three types of finger food and a more relaxed setting. Use your imagination and what you have around the house to create a look that is unique to you.Īfternoon tea and high tea are often used interchangeably, but there is a difference between the two. Throwing an afternoon tea party doesn’t need to be a big expenditure. I decorated with a brightly colored tablecloth (ok, it was a sheet) and daffodils picked from the garden. If you like having a specific theme, try one of our tea party ideas or come up with your own using colors, seasons, books, movies, holidays, types of food, or whatever you can think of!įor my most recent tea party, I threw an early spring garden tea party for two on my deck using my grandmother’s china. You could even gift your guests with the mismatched tea cups at the end of your celebration. Throwing an afternoon tea party can be as classic as tea served on inherited china or it can be made more eclectic by gathering teaware from your local thrift store. These could also be spread out on plates if you don’t have a server. You will also need three courses of sweets, scones, and savories, traditionally served on a three-tiered serving stand. To throw a tea party you need teaware, including a big tea pot, cream and sugar servers, and enough cups, saucers, and place settings for your guests. Afternoon tea is usually laid out on fine china, with a large pot of tea and three tiers of treats acting as the centerpiece. It’s a delightful and relaxing time to sit back and really savor tea, treats, and good company. You don’t need to stumble into an old inn wearing a crinoline to find the perfect tea you can search for afternoon teas hosted by local inns and tea rooms, or you can immerse yourself in the fun of hosting your own! All it takes is some tiny food, creativity, and a good pot of tea.Īfternoon tea is an English tradition dating back to the 1800s of taking tea with three courses of finger food, sweets, scones, and savories or tea sandwiches. Inside, I found roaring fires, Christmas trees, and the best, most inviting afternoon tea I’ve ever indulged in. Last year, I took a respite from the cold in The White Swan Tavern, a colonial era inn built in 1733. Townspeople dress in Victorian garb and stroll the streets drinking mulled wine and eating a combination of local and old English food. During the winter holidays, my town puts on the “A Dickens of a Christmas” festival.