Afternoon Tea – A traditional English experience

Make time for tea in England

Of all the English stereotypes, the obsession with tea drinking is perhaps the most accurate and what better way to get a first-hand experience for English culture than by joining in the traditional Afternoon Tea ritual when the clock strikes 4 o’clock.

History of Afternoon Tea

The English Afternoon Tea has come a long way since its humble origins as a combination of smuggled tea-pot and breadstuffs to combat ‘that sinking feeling’ before dinner. The Duchess of Bedford is credited with its evolution into a respectable social occasion, bringing the practice into London from the countryside and inviting friends to join her mid afternoon for ‘tea and a walking the fields’. Afternoon Tea was soon after adopted throughout English society as the only proper thing to ‘take’ when the clock struck 4 o’clock.

For more information about the history of Afternoon Tea, visit the Afternoon Tea website

English Afternoon Tea Menu

Scones with jam and clotted cream from FreeFoto

The core ingredients of the original Afternoon Tea – tea and breadstuffs – have never wavered, but the variety of these ‘teas’ and ‘breadstuffs’ continues to grow. The most common form of Afternoon Tea throughout England is the Cream tea – a pot of traditional English tea and a warm fruit scone served with clotted cream and jam – which can be found in most traditional cafes. For those who prefer cakes to scones, these are just as easy to find and each region of England has its own specialty:

‘Eccles cakes and Chorley cakes are both Lancashire favourites. The Eccles cake is also affectionately known as Squashed Fly Pie – owing to its appearance (a puff pastry pie case stuffed with raisins)! These afternoon tea cakes were traditionally added to millworkers lunchboxes to keep them going through the afternoon.’ Debs, Tripbod in Lancashire UK

The old English principle that ‘everything stops for tea’ seems a thing of the past. Nowadays we English are more likely to be found grabbing a mug of tea and a biscuit on the go, rather than sitting-down to a relaxing afternoon tea, but even a selection of traditional English biscuits (found on the shelves of every English supermarket) don’t have to be boring:

‘In an ideal world I would sit down to a pot of Earl Grey Tea and a slice of Victoria sponge cake everyday but most of the time it ends up being a selection of biscuits. Digestives, Hobnobs, Jammy Dodgers, Custard creams are all good traditional English biscuits that we’ve grown up with and never lose their appeal!’

Ali, Tripbod in London UK

The best Afternoon Tea in London

Though many Afternoon Tea options exist to satisfy every taste and budget, there’s really no better traditional English treat to experience when in London than an elegant high-class Afternoon Tea – a full-blown pastry feast consisting of finger sandwiches, scones, and mini-patisseries served with tea.

The most luxurious Afternoon Tea is served at the Landmark Hotel opposite Marylebone Station. Of the top Afternoon Teas in London rated recently by the Tea Guild, the Landmark’s very reasonable, £35 per head tea, exquisite yet traditional and served in the recently renovated Winter Garden really is something special.

Set beneath a soaring glass ceilinged atrium, eight storeys high, surrounded by palms and impeccably dressed waiting staff, there’s no better way to beat the afternoon sugar slump and experience a true slice of middle England. The Landmark is a grade II listed building, originally opened in 1899 as the Grand Central Hotel, and its similarly impressive interior makes it hard not to feel like an extra in an Agatha Christie film.

An eclectic mix of guests and attentive yet un-intrusive staff make everyone feel welcome. Chocolate, champagne, gluten-free – all the Afternoon Tea varieties are catered for, beautifully presented on silver tiered cake stands and accompanied by bottomless pots of your choice of loose-leaf tea.

The perfectly proportioned finger sandwiches, imaginative French pastries and a selection of home-made scones with clotted cream and jam are replenished as often as you wish and doggy-bags (special pastry boxes in this case) are even provided on request for leftovers.

The tea is not the only refreshing thing at the Landmark however. Not once are you hurried – even when lingering over your third piece of mini carrot cake at well past 7pm – or made to feel like a nuisance  when explaining a particularly tricky set of dietary requirements. The customer is always right and in a city like London, this genuinely personal touch is an increasingly rare experience.

For other highly recommended Afternoon Teas in London visit Afternoon Tea or Secret London for more information.

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Afternoon Tea around the world

Afternoon Tea is quintessentially English but what do locals around the world traditionally snack on when the clock strikes 4 o’clock? We asked our tribe of trusted local Tripbods.

‘Chai and Tiffin are the big 4pm favourites in Indian homes, and the markets come alive with spicy, savoury treats as schools empty for the day. The typical market snack in Jodhpur is Mirchi bada (potatoes and chillies, deep fried in a batter of chick peas), eaten with bread and a delicious tamarind chutney.’ Deepa, Tripbod in India

‘Here in South Africa we don’t shy away from food. If people want something savoury or meaty in the afternoon, Biltong (type of Jerkey) or dried Wors sausage is a favourite for us South Africans.’ Neil, Tripbod in Eastern Cape South Africa

‘We are not renowned as a tea drinking nation but are great at snacking. A heated fruit scone with jam and cream and a cup of coffee is always acceptable.’ John, Tripbod in Galway Ireland

‘We don’t have anything typical for that time of the day in Slovenia but a popular traditional treat is Potica – a sweet yeast dough spread with a nut paste, rolled into a log and then cut cross-ways like swiss roll – yum!’ Mojca, Tripbod in Slovenia & Croatia

‘No Afternoon Tea for the next month for Muslims the world over as the holy month of Ramadam begins with fasting during daylight hours. As the sun-sets, snacking can commence and there’s nothing more traditional than tucking into tea and dates.’ Alex, Tripbod in Dubai UAE

‘A traditional afternoon snack for India would be Samosa. For more everything you want to know about Samosas and how to make them yourself, read my Indian food blog.’ Puneet, Tripbod in India

‘In Egypt most people don’t even have lunch until 3-4pm, so I guess you could say that an afternoon snack is actually a full meal!  Most people eat diced cucumber/tomato salad, with fresh bread, grilled chicken, and rice.  Despite sounding relatively boring, it’s very tasty and healthy!’ Eric, Tripbod in Egypt

‘We in the colonies also enjoy tea.  We will have tea and sandwiches at 10 and 2. Of course South Africa is a diverse place and many people cannot afford these luxuries and chips or crisps has to suffice.’  Jonah, Tripbod in South Africa

‘When visiting my Granny at her place in Bliesgau Biosphere Reserve in Saarland, Germany, one of the things that never seems to change is the coffee break with home-made cake served at 4 o’clock on the dot. If I come over – which happens far too seldom – she always has a Streuselkuchen (crumb cake) waiting for me.’ Marcus, Tripbod in Vienna

‘In Turkey an afternoon snack is usually a glass of black tea (in the traditional glass) and a Simit, a traditional circle of bread covered in sesame seeds. This is sometimes eaten with cheese too.’ Steph, Tripbod in Turkey

‘Juiced seaweed and fried banana chips are sold on the buses leaving the station at Belize City and are the Belizean afternoon snack of choice…’ Robin, Tripbod in Belize

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