U is for Universal

 

U is another tough letter, so I chose Universal as one of its definitions is including or covering all or a whole collectively or distributively without limit or exception.

Anyone looking at an afternoon tea table would probably think "gluten overload" as their first thought!  Bread, scones, cake, pastry.  How long has gluten-free been a thing?  Thirty years?  Forty years?  It seems to me that when I was younger, it was not a term I ever heard.  If something didn't agree with you, you just didn't eat it.  Happily, things have changed, and afternoon tea is available in many venues to everyone.

Here's a look at the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon at Fortnum & Mason with three menu variations.

Classic Afternoon Tea

Gluten-Free Afternoon Tea

Vegetarian Afternoon Tea

I thought it was interesting to note that the price is the same for all three menus.  You often find that restaurants seem to translate gluten-free or vegetarian into a higher cost but not so here.