{"id":41145,"date":"2022-09-01T15:08:26","date_gmt":"2022-09-01T15:08:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/?p=41145"},"modified":"2025-04-25T08:59:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T08:59:07","slug":"what-is-afternoon-tea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/what-is-afternoon-tea\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Afternoon Tea and the Story Behind it"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Discover our informative guide on all things Afternoon Tea, including the history, tea menu and what time afternoon tea is typically served.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Afternoon Tea, one of Britain\u2019s finest traditions, is truly one of life\u2019s great pleasures. The journey towards the top of the tiered stand, from savoury to sweet, is a treat like no other. At The Ritz, we pride ourselves on serving the quintessential, English <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/dine-with-us\/afternoon-tea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Afternoon Tea<\/a><\/strong>, which has been a pillar of The Ritz\u2019s character since the hotel first opened its doors in 1906, and remains so to this day. A world of refined service and exquisite flavours awaits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-header-2-font-size\">What is Afternoon Tea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The answer to what is Afternoon Tea has evolved significantly since its origins in the 1840s, when the Duchess of Bedford, Anna Russell, a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria and a prominent member of London society, introduced this delightful tradition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">For those wondering, what is Afternoon Tea, it is a delightful British tradition that brings together indulgence and elegance, offering a selection of finely crafted treats served with expertly brewed tea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As part of Afternoon Tea history, the Duchess of Bedford, during a visit to the Duke of Rutland, requested a light refreshment of tea and cake or sandwiches to stave off \u2018that sinking feeling\u2019 between lunch and dinner. The ideal way to punctuate the afternoon, she soon invited friends to enjoy it. Given her influence, it didn\u2019t take long before other ladies of society started to host their own tea parties, so Afternoon Tea was born. As time went on, the custom became increasingly popular. What is an Afternoon Tea today? It has transformed from a light, mid-afternoon snack into a refined tradition featuring finger sandwiches, scones, cakes, and pastries, served with tea and often <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/dine-with-us\/afternoon-tea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a glass of Champagne<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The afternoon tea history has influenced the variety found on today\u2019s menu, evolving from simple tea and bread to the luxurious spread of delicacies enjoyed at The Ritz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Traditional-Afternoon-Tea-2024-1024x576.avif\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Traditional Afternoon Tea at The Ritz\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Traditional-Afternoon-Tea-2024-1024x576.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Traditional-Afternoon-Tea-2024-300x169.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Traditional-Afternoon-Tea-2024-768x432.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Traditional-Afternoon-Tea-2024-1536x864.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Traditional-Afternoon-Tea-2024.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-header-2-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">What is on an Afternoon Tea menu?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The first joyous mouthful comes courtesy of the meticulously prepared finger sandwiches. A fine elevation from the sandwiches of every day, each kind is made with a different bread to complement the filling. Brioche, tomato, granary, malt, and sourdough are all featured on the menu, each offering new, enticing textures and flavours to the ones that came before. Guests can expect a multitude of generously filled, delicate sandwiches, from <em>Scottish Smoked Salmon with Lemon Butter<\/em> and <em>Egg Mayonnaise with Chopped Shallots and Watercress<\/em> to <em>Cucumber with Cream Cheese, Dill and Mint<\/em> and <em>Chicken with Tarragon Creamed Mayonnaise<\/em>. It isn\u2019t easy to know where to begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Guests may wonder how many sandwiches are there per person for Afternoon Tea? At The Ritz, it is our pleasure to replenish sandwiches on request, meaning guests certainly won\u2019t be going home hungry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/scones-1024x576.avif\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"The Ritz London home made scones part of Afternoon Tea\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/scones-1024x576.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/scones-300x169.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/scones-768x432.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/scones-1536x864.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/scones.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Soon enough one of our charming waiters will arrive at the table with a plate of warm scones, fresh from the oven. The nostalgic scent of plain and fruited scones floats through the air, inviting guests to taste. Served alongside rich Cornish clotted cream and a delightfully balanced strawberry preserve, there\u2019s no more British a delicacy than this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Afternoon-Tea-pics-March-2024-x2-1024x576.avif\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Afternoon Tea at The Ritz London\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Afternoon-Tea-pics-March-2024-x2-1024x576.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Afternoon-Tea-pics-March-2024-x2-300x169.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Afternoon-Tea-pics-March-2024-x2-768x432.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Afternoon-Tea-pics-March-2024-x2-1536x864.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Afternoon-Tea-pics-March-2024-x2.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Finishing with grace, just the Afternoon Tea pastries and cakes remain. The skilled Ritz Pastry Chefs continuously change these exquisitely decorated and flavoured pastries according to the seasons. In the summer months, guests are likely to find a <em>Petit Gateau of Strawberry with Vanilla Chantilly<\/em>, whereas guests enjoying our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/christmas-at-the-ritz\/christmas-afternoon-tea\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Christmas Afternoon Tea<\/a><\/strong> may well discover a <em>Spiced Pear Mousse with White Chocolate<\/em>. Additionally, vegetarian, and vegan diners needn\u2019t worry, our Chefs attentively cater for any dietary requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center has-header-2-font-size\">What to drink with Afternoon Tea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The afternoon tea menu is seamlessly accompanied by an expertly brewed cup of loose-leaf tea. When the tradition arose in Victorian times, tea was an expensive commodity and, therefore, exclusively reserved for the upper class. Today, however, tea is the nation\u2019s favourite drink. The British sip their way through over 100 million cups each day. But there\u2019s not a tea bag in sight at The Ritz, as we are the only hotel in the UK to have a certified Tea Master. He travels around the world to various tea plantations, sourcing our excellent loose-leaf teas to create our tea menu featuring 18 different varieties. Our Tea Master blends three teas on the menu in-house, including The Ritz Royal English tea, but the recipe is our secret\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tea-pouring-1024x578.avif\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Pouring milk into a cup of tea for Afternoon Tea at The Ritz\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tea-pouring-1024x578.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tea-pouring-300x169.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tea-pouring-768x433.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tea-pouring-1536x866.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/tea-pouring.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\"><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">The final touch for an&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/dine-with-us\/afternoon-tea\/celebration-tea\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Afternoon Tea celebrating<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;a birthday, an anniversary or simply a Wednesday is, of course, a chilled glass of Barons de Rothschild \u2018R\u00e9serve Ritz\u2019 Champagne.<\/span> Cheers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\">What time is Afternoon Tea?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As the name suggests, Afternoon Tea is typically served between lunch and dinner. However, at The Ritz, we have five sittings a day: 11:30 am, 1:30 pm, 3:30 pm, 5:30 pm, and 7:30 pm. Thus, guests can take afternoon tea whenever they desire, be it morning, noon, or night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img width=\"1024\" height=\"577\" src=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/time-for-tea-1024x577.avif\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"Afternoon tea on a table\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/time-for-tea-1024x577.avif 1024w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/time-for-tea-300x169.avif 300w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/time-for-tea-768x432.avif 768w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/time-for-tea-1536x865.avif 1536w, https:\/\/www.theritzlondon.com\/content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/time-for-tea.avif 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-body-1-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">The Duchess of Bedford may not have realised exactly what she was creating when she hankered for tea and cake one afternoon almost 200 years ago. But we are glad she did, and we hope this sophisticated tradition continues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover our informative guide on all things Afternoon Tea, including the history, tea menu and what time afternoon tea is typically served.  Read here.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":56753,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38,39],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-41145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-journal","category-food-and-drink","c-items__item"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is Afternoon Tea? 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