A history of afternoon tea

---

Afternoon Tea has become a vital part of British culture! And it all began with one person: Ana Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford.

In the early-to-mid 1800’s, specifically around 1840, she would complain about a ‘sinking feeling’ around 4pm, so she ordered her servants to prepare for her a light meal consisting of sandwiches and cakes, served with a cup of tea. She would invite her friends over for gossip sessions while they enjoyed this meal, which then became known as Afternoon Tea. She soon added scones and clotted creams to the mix and over time it became a staple of British society.

The Afternoon Tea would typically consist of a selection of sandwiches typically filled with cucumber, egg, cress, fish paste, ham and smoked salmon and they would also enjoy pastries such as Battenberg cake, fruit cake or Victoria sponge as well. This is why Battenberg and Victoria sponge cakes are so commonly associated with Afternoon Tea.

High tea was typically served at a high table with high back dining chairs at the end of a long day. This would typically be for members of the working class, and the tea would be accompanied by a hot meal, such as meat, fish or potatoes. High tea was much less formal than Afternoon Tea, and over time has become less popular, while Afternoon tea has continued to grow in popularity.

Fun fact - this is why 4pm is considered ’Afternoon Tea time’, and at Fortnum and Mason, the ties the employees wear, the tins of tea and the jam and preserve jars have small clocks with the time set to 4pm.

The great scone debate:

People often debate which way is the “correct” way to put the cream and jam or lemon curd on the scones, the answer is that it’s a regional thing! In Cornwall, the jam is put on the scone first and the cream on top, in Devon the cream goes first and then the jam, however, as Queen Elizabeth II did it the Cornish way this was considered the “correct” way. The more you know!

Other types of Afternoon Tea:

-If an Afternoon tea experience begins with a glass of champagne or ends with a glass of port or sherry, then it is known as a “Royale Tea”.

-If it is only the scones, cream and jam being served with a cup of tea, then it is known as a “Cream Tea”.