Etiquette? For afternoon tea? Yes, there are some basic rules...or guidelines...to making an afternoon tea a truly memorable experience.
Remember we talked about afternoon tea vs. high tea? Afternoon tea is served in the afternoon whereas high tea was a meal eaten originally by the lower classes at a high table hence the name. Afternoon tea conjures up an image of aristocratic ladies in beautiful gowns and hats, in a sumptuous garden, partaking of a variety of tiny sandwiches and desserts.
We've moved on a little as now afternoon tea is enjoyed by anyone who visits a tearoom or makes a tea at home, however, some of what made it special is still present today.
Dress for the occasion - long gowns and hats are gone, but smart casual is the way to go for a visit to a tearoom. No jeans and trainers here please. Focus on the occasion - phones away and earbuds out.
There will be a beautifully folded cloth napkin at each place setting. Gently unfold it and place it on your lap. Someone can "be mother", the one who pours the tea (as in, "Shall I be mother?"). Use the tea strainer to avoid a cup full of tea leaves (no tea bags here, please) and then hold your teacup gracefully, no upturned pinkies (where did that myth come from?). Stir silently, and, allowing the tea to cool slightly, gently lift your teacup with your thumb and index finger and sip slowly, no slurping. Place the teacup back in the saucer, don't bring the saucer to the cup.
As I've mentioned before, start from the lowest level of the tiered server with the finger sandwiches, then the scones, and finally, the dessert tier.
Pull your scone apart gently (no cutting with a knife, please) and spread one half with jam and clotted cream, taking small bites. Repeat with the other half.
Resist the temptation to put jam on one half and cream on the other and sandwich them together.
Sandwiches and scones can be taken from the tiered server with your fingers, but a small fork should be provided for the desserts. They will often only be the size of a mouthful, but a fork is provided for ease of maneuvering them to your mouth.
This may sound like an awful lot of rules, but it should help you enjoy the experience to its fullest and not commit any faux pas!
I had to giggle at resisting the temptation to make a sandwich out of the pieces of scone because that would be my inclination. And I still can´t get over the fact that I completely had the definition of high tea wrong! I need to go to a tearoom to put all these tips and proper etiquette information to use :).
ReplyDeleteThese are all great tips... and so many of them I would never have even thought about.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I should know everything about afternoon tea's but I am learning new things reading your posts.
ReplyDeleteThere is always the debate here about what goes on the scone first, the jam or cream? I always go for jam first and then cream, I once read that the Queen used to eat hers that way.