Creating the Perfect Afternoon Tea

There is more to afternoon tea than a few friends enjoying a cuppa and a scone dolloped with jam and cream. First is the matter of timing; if you are to be exact about things then only when served between the hours of 3:30pm and 5pm can tea, sandwiches and cake be termed “afternoon tea”. Having got your timing correct you then have the quandary of milk or lemon? Loose leaf or bag? Should one add the milk or the tea first? Indeed there are a series of ironclad rules that surround the genteel ritual of afternoon tea and if your manners are to match the elegance of the cakes then you would do well to brush up on your etiquette and follow the rules.

Don’t Go Naked Donning a low-waisted tea dress it would be easy to think you are ready to take afternoon tea, but without your hat and gloves you may as well be naked, for no self-respecting lady would be seen in public without the correct attire, after all you never see the Queen in public without her hat and gloves.

Once seated remember to remove your gloves before taking tea and place them on your lap with your napkin over the top. Your hat will be pinned in place and so this should remain on your head to take afternoon tea, but remember that once the clock strikes six then the hat comes off — you can’t wear your hat to the dinner table.

Hold Back on the Compliments When presented with perfect food, fine china and wonderful décor a lady of good social standing should learn not to gush and pay compliments in public; to do so is to indicate that you are not accustomed to such finery.

Making Polite Conversation The vulgarity of talking about money is strictly prohibited and it is simply bad manners to ask someone what they do for a living. You should never pry, if someone is comfortable talking about their job then they will tell you, but it is bad manners to be presumptuous and ask. One should try to keep conversation polite and light hearted and avoid the subjects of wealth, indiscretions, sex, scandal, health, politics and religion.

Pouring Tea The quandary of whether tea should be poured before adding milk or milk before tea has perplexed generations. The author George Orwell had a clear opinion on this and wrote: “By putting the tea in first and stirring as one pours, one can exactly regulate the amount of milk, whereas one is likely to put in too much milk if one does it the other way round.”

It is said that you can tell the class of a person from the way they take their tea, no matter what a person’s airs and graces are, if they add milk to the cup first then they are of a lower social standing. Putting the milk in first was a cultural quirk that stems from the times when only the affluent could afford fine porcelain which, because it isn’t as porous as china, could withstand the hot tea being poured in directly whereas those drinking from cheap china had to put the milk in first to cool the tea slightly to prevent their cups from cracking.

Your tea should be mixed not stirred or whisked. Before you reach for the teaspoon and frantically stir your tea with an undignified series of clinks and clanks as you strike the side of the cup with your spoon, remember that this is the height of bad manners. You should not stir your tea as it may result in splashing and an unceremonious mess. Instead you should move the spoon back and forth, slowly, in a movement reminiscent of the six to twelve o’clock position on a clock face. When you have finished place the teaspoon at the back of the teacup on the saucer.

Loose Tea or Tea Bags Loose tea is a little more refined and allows you to bring out the tea strainer. If you are taking lemon with your tea don’t leave it in the cup whilst drinking, it is just slovenly.

Leave the Pot Alone Do not be tempted to get your teaspoon out and start swishing the tea around in the pot, remember you are taking tea not working in a factory canteen.

Shall I be Mother? The hostess can share the job of pouring the tea with her nearest and dearest, but she should always pour the first cup. However, if only a lady and a gentleman are present during tea, the man must always offer to pour, saving the lady the strain of such an arduous task. After he has poured, the man should position the teapot so that the spout faces him.

Plates and Pinky Fingers Good etiquette dictates that a plate should be raised with the left hand, while the teacup should be held with the right hand. Watch those pinky fingers for they should never be raised when drinking tea.

Sweet Temptation Yes, those sugar cubes look wonderful, but do not drop them into your cup with your fingers, always use the sugar tongs provided and, furthermore, under no circumstances should you be seen eating the sugar lumps like an ill-mannered donkey on the beach — it really isn’t ladylike. Similarly no dunking your biscuits in your tea, whilst tucked away at home far from prying eyes this is a most enjoyable activity, but it is not for public consumption.

Where to Begin When taking afternoon tea you should be presented with a selection of sweet and savoury treats, typically including sandwiches, scones, pastries and cakes. You should eat them in the following order: first the savoury offerings, this usually means the finger sandwiches. Next eat the scones and finish with the cakes, biscuits and sweet pastries.

Now that you are dressed appropriately and are well-versed with the etiquette expected of partaking afternoon tea you are ready to turn your attention to the culinary side.

The Sandwiches These should be finger sandwiches not triangles. Finger sandwiches are dainty and easy to eat whereas the triangular variety is strictly reserved for mass catering affairs such as christenings and funerals. A sandwich served for afternoon tea should only take two or three bites to eat. It should be possible to pick up the sandwich in one hand and the fillings should not tumble out causing a messy mishap and social embarrassment.

I like to offer a choice of between three and five different fillings on my tea tray, to cater for my guests’ varying tastes and to capture different textures and flavours. Alternate the bread colours for a good visual effect. Leave trimming the crusts off the sandwiches until close to serving time as they will retain their freshness this way. Cucumber Sandwiches These can be an absolute delight and are the quintessentially British addition to an afternoon tea, but if they are not made correctly they can be soggy and tasteless, so for the perfect cucumber sandwich try the following recipe:

Ingredients 1⁄ 2 cucumber, peeled Ground sea salt 6 thin slices of good white bread Unsalted butter, at room temperature (should be soft enough to spread easily) White pepper 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Method: Cut the cucumber into thin slices and place into a colander over a bowl. Sprinkle lightly with salt (be sparing) and sprinkle with the lemon juice, mix gently and leave for 20 minutes. Taste a piece to check the seasoning, if they are too salty you will need to rinse them at this stage if not you can start on the drying process. Lay the salted cucumber slices on a piece of kitchen paper in a single layer and pat dry with more paper. Take the bread and butter generously. Arrange the cucumber on half the slices, overlapping each round, and sprinkle with a dusting of ground white pepper. Top with a piece of buttered bread and press down firmly. Next, cut the crusts off, and then cut into neat fingers of equal sizes. Arrange on the serving stand and serve immediately.

Strawberry, Cucumber and Mint Sandwiches

Ingredients 2oz/50g of strawberries (chilled) ¼ peeled cucumber, sliced thinly Handful of fresh garden mint (chopped finely) 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon white caster sugar Freshly ground black pepper to season 6 slices white bread Unsalted butter, at room temperature Method: Hull the strawberries, slice finely and place in a non-metallic bowl, sprinkle them with the sugar and vinegar. Add the finely sliced cucumber. Stir gently to combine and season with black pepper. Add the garden mint and stir. Leave for 10 minutes and drain off any resulting liquid. If the mixture appears particularly wet (strawberries vary in juice content) then lay the mixture on kitchen towel and pat dry with another sheet of kitchen towel to absorb some of the moisture. Butter the bread generously and add a layer of the strawberry and cucumber mixture to half the bread, top with a buttered slice of bread and press down firmly before trimming off the crusts and cutting into equal sized fingers. Arrange on the stand and serve immediately.

Avoid fillings that are too wet or are clumsy to eat. Also try to stick with subtle flavours as you don’t want to overpower the delicate notes of the tea or leave a lingering taste in the mouth that will confuse the palate when it comes to the cake course.

Scones No cutlery is permitted unless you have scones, in which case a knife may be used to butter the scone. Don’t be tempted to start sawing the scone up with the butter knife for good etiquette dictates that scones are always broken; never cut. They should be served with jam and clotted cream, or butter. In my opinion it is best to keep scones on the smaller size, for as delectable as a warm scone, with lashings of jam and cream is, it can be a filling affair and one of

the delights of afternoon tea is sampling many different delicacies.

In the midst of all this talk of etiquette you’ll be please to know that there is no correct pronunciation of the word “scone”, so whether you say “scone” in a way that rhymes with “cone”, or “scone” in a way that rhymes with “con”, you are correct. Cakes Cakes should be dainty affairs that offer just a mouthful. When making cakes for an afternoon tea bear in mind that no cutlery should be used for the eating of cake. Yes, it may come as a shock that a cake fork has no place on an afternoon tea table, instead delicate cakes that allow for ease of eating are the order of the day.

My standard afternoon tea always includes meringues, sponge cake, pineapple shortbread and some cheese scones. If I have time I always add fondant fancies as they are well worth the effort of making, and choux pastry because I adore freshly made choux pastry filled with fresh cream.

With the cakes made, the scones risen and the sandwiches trimmed, all that remains is to make the decision of whether to upgrade your occasion to the not-so-traditional Royal Afternoon Tea by adding a glass of champagne and giving things a bit of sparkle.