Afternoon Tea or High Tea?

It is a common misconception that afternoon tea and high tea is the same thing, but in fact, each meal has its own distinct origins and practices. The “high” in high tea is not an indicator of class, but instead describes the type of table the meal was originally eaten on. High tea was a term used to describe a working class supper consisting of meat and fish dishes, baked goods and vegetables. The large servings of food required that high tea be conversely “low tea” was a term for the afternoon tea traditionally eaten by wealthy ladies during the 19th century. The meal was served in sitting rooms on occasional tables, which were both smaller in size and lower to the ground. Although initially an informal meal enjoyed alone or with a few friends, the rituals and etiquette surrounding afternoon tea were soon developed and embellished by the gentry and exported around the world. Although the practices of low and high tea have since become more or less the same, the modern high tea – a selection of sweets and savouries served with a pot of fine tea – has become a popular treat at London’s finest hotels.

The Origins of Afternoon Tea

The practice of drinking tea in England became common following the marriage of King Charles II to the Portuguese princess Catherine of Braganza in 1662. Following exploration and the development of trade in the Far East, tea became popular at the Portuguese court but remained extremely rare in London. After arriving in England, Catherine soon became a trendsetter at the English court and her preference for tea saw it become extremely fashionable in aristocratic circles.

The development of afternoon tea as a social gathering is attributed to Anna Maria Stanhope, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the early 1840s. Before the mid-1800s, only two meals were eaten each day, but as gas and oil lights were introduced into the homes of the wealthy, the second meal, usually eaten before dark, was eaten later and later. This created the need for a light midday snack (the origin of today’s lunch), but the Duchess found this was not enough to keep her hunger at bay until the evening. Said to suffer from “a sinking feeling” by late afternoon, Anna had her servants secretly serve her small meals consisting of bread, butter, cake and tea in her boudoir. She so enjoyed this refreshment that she soon began to invite her close friends to join her for “afternoon tea”. To the Duchess’ surprise, her indulgence became increasingly popular, so she chose to continue it upon her return to London, where other hostesses also adopted the practice.

Following the French colonisation of Morocco, tea dances became popular both in the Royal Navy and as a continuation of garden parties. More modest than a ball, a tea dance saw refreshments such as tea and coffee, ices, champagne-cup and claret-cup, fruit, sandwiches, cake and biscuits displayed as a buffet in the dining room, while an orchestra played waltzes, tangos and later the Charleston. These dances traditionally took place in the palm court of prestigious hotels and, to this day, afternoon tea is served in these rooms in many hotels, including The Ritz and The Langham.

Afternoon Tea Etiquette

Making tea

Tea should be brewed for two to four minutes, depending on the type of tea. The correct amount is roughly one rounded teaspoon of loose tea per cup.
The addition of milk before or after the pouring of the tea is a matter of debate. In Victorian tradition, pouring tea straight into the cup was a test of the quality of porcelain, as only the most expensive bone china could withstand the heat of the tea without cracking. These days, tea purists pour milk into the cup first, as adding milk into hot tea makes denaturation of milk proteins more likely and can damage the flavour of the tea. By pouring the milk into the teacup first and adding the tea second, the whole beverage will be slightly cooler but more fragrant to taste.

Teacups should be filled to below the brim to allow room for milk to be added and reduce the likelihood of the tea being spilled into the saucer. Once the tea is poured, it should go straight to the recipient to avoid becoming too cool.
Lemon should be added to tea in slices, not wedges, and should never be used with milk. Lemon should be added after the tea has been poured and a lemon fork should be provided.
Tea should be stirred without the spoon clinking against the china and, after stirring, the spoon should be placed gently on the saucer in line with the handle of the teacup, in approximately the four o’clock position.

Drinking Tea

Perhaps the most contentious issue of tea etiquette is the arching or raising of the little finger when holding a teacup. There are a variety of theories as to why this habit came about; some say it was necessitated by the first teacups to arrive from China, which had no handles. These cups were held with the thumbs and fingers in the six and 12 o’clock positions, which required the little fingers to be raised for extra balance. A more practical reason is that raising or arching the little finger prevents it from being burned by the base of the teacup. An arched pinky also allows more control when placing a teacup back into its saucer, thereby reducing noise and the chance of spills. Currently, the propriety of the raised or arched little finger remains a matter of debate, but many see it as a considerate practice that often prevents spills.
The teacup should be held with the index finger through the handle, but not looped around it. The thumb should rest on top and the middle finger below the handle for balance, with the last two fingers curled. Alternatively, the handle can be lightly pinched, with the other hand taking the weight of the cup, without cradling it.
When drinking tea, it is appropriate to lower your eyes to guide the cup to your mouth, then to sip delicately without slurping. If at a table, the saucer should not be lifted, but when appropriate, it should rest on the four fingers of the left hand with the teacup held in the right (unless the user is left-handed).

Eating

Napkins

Napkins should always be provided and used. They should be picked up gently, without flourish or flapping, after the host has done so but before the food arrives. Napkins should rest on the lap and be folded to fit if necessary, with the fold facing towards the body. Gentle dabbing at the mouth is best and napkins should not be used as a handkerchief (except in emergencies or to catch an unexpected sneeze), nor to blot lipstick or mop up spills, as these stains can be difficult to remove.

When leaving the table in the middle of tea, the napkin should be loosely placed on the chair and the chair tucked into the table. Of course, if the napkin is dirty, be wary of soiling the chair; if necessary, it is best to avoid this by placing the napkin on the table as a cloth is more easily laundered than a chair cover. Only upon completion of tea should the napkin be placed back on the table on the left-hand side of the place setting.

Place Settings and Cutlery

When unsure about which utensil to use, work your way from the outside of the place setting to the inside. While a petite knife and fork may be used together for an open sandwich, it is preferable that these utensils are not used together on a closed sandwich. However, due to the evolving nature of the foods presently served for afternoon tea, this may not always be the case.

Never place a used utensil onto a table or cloth. Instead, rest used utensils on the right of the corresponding plate.
Remember: always use sugar tongs when taking a sugar lump for tea.

Sandwiches

The meal should not be started until all guests are at the table and the food from each course has been served.
Traditionally, savoury sandwiches are eaten first, but scones are also often eaten while still warm. This means that they may be placed at the top of an afternoon tea stand to allow the addition of a cover for insulation.

Sandwiches should be of an appropriate size so that three fingers are all that is needed to lift them. In some circles, crusts are removed from sandwiches, but as long as they can be easily eaten, there is no reason to cut off crusts if you prefer otherwise.

Food should always be tasted before it is seasoned with salt and pepper as adding it first can be impolite to the cook. The mouth should of course be kept closed when eating and only small bites taken to allow conversation to continue unimpeded.

Scones

While many assume that to slice a scone horizontally and cover it in jam and clotted cream is acceptable, this action is actually considered improper tea etiquette as it can be messy to prepare and to eat. The correct method is the same as for the dinner roll: a small piece should be broken off and individually spread with jam and cream.

No guests should reach across the table to pick up shared food items such as clotted cream or preserves, and should ask for them to be passed around the table upon request. When an item has been requested, those passing it along should not help themselves to the item first. Cream or jam should be placed on individual plates with a small serving spoon, then spread on the scones using individual knives.

Whether jam or cream is added first depends on preference for the Devonshire (cream first) or Cornish (jam first) tradition.

Pastries

Afternoon tea is fundamentally a ladylike affair, but it can often be difficult to maintain propriety due to the mess that often results from eating cakes. Depending on the type of cake, there are different table manners on how to eat it. Fingers should be used for dry and crumbly cakes such as cupcakes, while moist cake should be eaten with a fork. Petits fours can be eaten with the fingers or with a fork if they are larger than a few bites.