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‘Sharing is Caring’

An Afternoon Tea with Findon Village WI

The origin of afternoon tea is shrouded in mystery. Whilst most English spa towns, such as Bath and Harrogate, served ‘Afternoon Teas’ in the 1750s and 60s the popularity of serving a range of finger food at about 4pm is often attributed to Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford around 1840. Feeling peckish between lunch and her fashionably late dinner Anna requested a tray of tea, bread and butter and cakes, a habit which she came to share with her upper crust friends, all of whom dressed appropriately for this stylish occasion.

Afternoon tea should not be confused with ‘high’ tea which was traditionally served 'high', meaning at a dining table with high backed chairs. It was typically a substantial meal of meat or fish, bread, vegetables, and tea to drink, and would be the main meal of those returning from work.

Findon Village WI may not have aristocratic connections, but we put together an excellent afternoon tea. There are essentially three courses. Firstly, tea sandwiches: these are generally made with thinly sliced and buttered white bread. The filling can be traditional cucumber or variations of ham, cheese, salmon or egg. They should be dainty and eaten in two or three bites. The crusts should be removed, or the bread cut into rounds with a pastry cutter. Secondly, there is a scone course. Plain scones are served with clotted cream and a fruit jam. The scone is broken into top and bottom halves by hand, and jam and cream is added according to personal preference. The scone should never be sandwiched together. Finally, cakes and pastries showcase the talents of their makers. A small fork may be employed for sticky morsels, but otherwise eating with the hands is quite acceptable.

An accompanying beverage is de rigeur – a light tea such as Indian is traditional, but there is now a fashion for afternoon tea to be served with a sparkling wine which adds to the celebratory feel.

An afternoon tea is a far cry from a teabag in a mug. It is a chance to don your glad rags, flaunt your collection of tiered trays and bone china, and, by sharing, show your guests that you care.