AFTERNOON TEA IN ENGLAND
By Glynn Burrows
ON BIG BLEND RADIO: Glynn Burrows, owner of Norfolk Tours, discusses the history of England’s popular Afternoon Tea tradition and how it was served and enjoyed back in the 18th and 19th centuries, as well as today. Watch here in the YouTube player or download the episode on Podbean.
There is much debate and not a small amount of disagreement about the origins of Afternoon Tea and one of the stories seen on the internet is that it was started by the seventh Duchess of Bedford in the 1840’s. This story can easily be shown to be incorrect by looking at advertisements in the press during the 18th century when many hotels, inns, and lodging houses were advertising Afternoon Tea available to their patrons.
It is definitely true that the Duchess of Bedford, along with Her Majesty Queen Victoria and many other inhabitants of Stately Houses did make Afternoon Tea very popular. It was the higher echelons of society that took to this “new” fashion in a big way, but it wasn’t long before those aspiring middle class ladies also started to join in.
By the late C1919th century, Afternoon Tea was to be seen in lots of Vicarages, Rectories, Farmhouses, and many of the townhouses in the country. Anywhere there were ladies who had time on their hands and who wanted to impress, there were Afternoon Tea tables being set with the best china and cooks preparing sandwiches, cakes, and other dainties.
Although the Afternoon Tea was for both sexes, it was less common for men to attend, they were more likely to be at work or at a Gentleman’s Club, so it was generally the wives and older daughters of the house who were entertaining. Servants were obviously a large part of the scene, as householders could show their guests just how affluent they were.
In 1891, the Rectory in my home village had the Rector and his wife, together with two daughters. They had three servants and a cook. One large house in Norfolk (Holkham Hall,) had the Lord and Lady, with their six children and four family guests. To look after them, there were: a governess, a nursemaid, a nurse, two lady’s maids, two stillroom maids, six housemaids, four laundry maids, a cook, a scullery boy, a steward’s room boy, two footmen, two kitchen maids, a porter, a hall boy, housekeeper, butler and valet, groom and two helpers in the stables. (They were all living in the house, and there would have been others living on the estate.)
To put that in context, The Prince and Princess of Wales and some of their family and friends were at Sandringham on the night of the census and there were eleven family and guests in the house, being looked after by fifty-three servants living in the house. That was not including twenty-eight in the stables etc, ten gardeners, various gamekeepers, stud grooms, and those living off-site. You can see that Afternoon Tea at Sandringham would have been a massive event, but the same thing at the Rectory would have been much more basic.
Today, the Afternoon Tea that we enjoy does not usually involve butlers, footmen, or housemaids, and what is on offer is not the sort of things that would have been served in Sandringham in 1891, but it is still a very enjoyable and sociable event.\
Today, most tea shops, hotels, and many pubs offer Afternoon Tea and it is a very enjoyable experience. Generally served any time after lunch, (but between three and four o’clock is the most popular time,) it is usually quite a formal affair, with a crisp white lace tablecloth, side plates, teacups and saucers, and the obvious teapots. If we are doing it at home, it is time for the best china and silver to be taken out of the cupboard!
The actual drink is only part of the event, and there are many teas on offer, from Breakfast Tea to Da Hong Pao, often including such impressive names as Lapsang Souchong, Oolong, Rooibos, and Dandelion Tea. There is also a wide selection of herbal teas, with Chamomile, Peppermint, Hibiscus, Sage, Lemon Balm, Ginger, and Jasmine being just a few.
The food is often served on tiered plates or special stands which take three plates, loaded with sweet and savoury dainties. All food for Afternoon Tea is presented beautifully, sandwiches are cut up small, with crusts off, and cakes are well decorated. There is always a selection of sandwich fillings and they are often not the fillings we would usually have at home, so things like smoked salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, smoked ham, crab, and lobster are what we have come to expect. Small sausage rolls, savoury scones, and cheese biscuits are also usually on offer.
Then we see the cakes, which are always the major part of the event. (If you are like me and don’t eat sweet things, you will need to let the host know before you arrive.) Cakes are often placed in individual paper sleeves or in frilly paper cups. Iced buns are very popular and small slices of larger cakes are usually artistically arranged to tempt guests to try one of each one on offer.
Sometimes, if it is an extra special occasion, the Afternoon Tea can be finished off with a glass of Champagne, just because you can!
You can try my wife Diane’s Cheese Scones recipe, here!
Glynn Burrows is the owner of Norfolk Tours in England where he provides customized, private tours and also helps his clients trace their English family history. If you are thinking about taking a vacation to England, visit www.Norfolk-Tours.co.uk.
