Cream first, jam first… milk first, tea first… it’s tea time!
Afternoon tea is a treat all year round. Here are eight places to indulge in this popular tradition
Louisa Walters is Features Editor at the Jewish News and specialises in food and travel writing
Last week was Afternoon Tea Week and with my Earl Grey tea in a china cup and my scone (jam first, naturally) I was only too happy to indulge in this most delightful of traditions. But in truth afternoon tea is a treat all year round.
The concept of afternoon tea as a meal came about in the 1840s, when the Duchess of Bedford found that she was getting hungry at home in Woburn Abbey in the long hours that stretched between her midday lunch and the evening meal, which was served fashionably late around 8.30 pm. She asked her maid to bring her some light refreshments at 4pm: “Perhaps a few triangles of bread, butter and jam, and a couple of small biscuits.” Today it’s a more elaborate affair with scones and cakes, and of course a heimische tea wouldn’t be complete without bridge rolls, which according to Debbie née Grodzinski, were first seen in 1926 and were popular for children’s tea parties. Bridge rolls are mezanot, meaning that they are defined as cake rather than bread, and therefore in Orthodox circles do not require the washing of hands prior to consumption. The reason we all love bridge rolls is that they are sweeter than sandwiches, and that is because the dough is made with fruit juice rather than water, which is what renders it cake.
Afternoon tea expert Gillian Walnes Perry, who travels the country giving talks on this esteemed tradition, says: “Afternoon tea has a great sense of nostalgia attached to it, and it’s something special and uplifting – not something that you have every day.” Should you decide to indulge one day soon, here are a few places to try.
MANOR TEA
Enjoy a quintessentially British afternoon tea in the luxurious surroundings of The Manor Elstree. In the summer months take it al fresco on the terrace overlooking the stunning gardens and views towards London. In the winter cosy up by the fire or in the elegant Cavendish Restaurant. Smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise and cheese and pickle feature on the sandwiches list, plus avocado with lime, chilli and tomato. Tuck into fresh scones and cakes, plus prosecco or champagne – a treat! From £40pp.
SUMMER TEA
The new summer afternoon tea at Sopwell House hotel in St Albans has traditional finger sandwiches such as cucumber and cream cheese on basil bread and smoked salmon and cracked black pepper on brown bread. Homemade scones with Devonshire clotted cream and strawberry preserve follow, before delicious cakes and pastries including strawberry layered slice, exotic coconut tart and milky oolong and dulce cheesecake. Raise a glass of fizz to that and if it’s a sunny day take it outdoors overlooking 12 acres of lovely grounds. From £48pp.
LONDON TEA
Timeless and elegant, The Stafford London has launched a sophisticated new afternoon tea served from a bespoke cake trolley for an added sense of theatre and occasion, and to allow guests a choice of cakes and pastries. These include coffee choux bun; lemon and basil tart; a slice of showstopping signature Earl Grey and honey layer cake; and a vanilla and raspberry White Mouse, created in honour of the Allies’ most highly decorated servicewoman of WWII, Nancy Wake. She became the Gestapo’s most-wanted woman, code-named The White Mouse because of her ability to elude capture. Later in her life, she became a resident at The Stafford London. From £70pp.
COUNTRYSIDE TEA
Hidden away in the woodlands of the Berkshire countryside, Coworth Park provides the perfect setting for an afternoon tea. Inspired by the surrounding views, The Garden Afternoon Tea includes delicate finger sandwiches including smoked salmon with sweet cicely crème fraiche, and ogleshield cheese with onion and rosemary jam. These are served with freshly baked scones and a selection of sweet treats including a coconut cake with cherry blossom, a chocolate mousse with hazelnut and a raspberry and elderflower choux. Veuve Clicquot is the bubbly option here. From £55pp.
INDIAN TEA
Afternoon tea doesn’t have to be a traditional British affair. The Masala High Chai at Masala Zone in Piccadilly draws inspiration from several Indian regions, with authentic savoury bites such as bhajias, pakoras and mini baroda batata vadas alongside traditional sandwich fillings reimagined into punchy flavours of chicken tikka and cheese with a spiced Bombay green herb chutney. There follows an assortment of traditional Indian treats including mango srikhand and the nankhatai biscuit, plus of course masala chai, poured from colourful, hand-painted Indian teapots. From £32pp.
TOURIST TEA
The Athenaeum in Mayfair is the ideal pitstop for a touristy day out in London as it’s right near Buckingham Palace. Traditional afternoon tea sandwiches are followed by sweet treats such as amarena and cherry blossom macaroon, and rose and lychee mousse. The savoury afternoon tea includes offers Welsh Rarebit English muffins, quail egg and mushroom tartlets, mackerel rillettes on olive toast plus Lincolnshire Poacher cheddar scones and fig and walnut scones. From £45pp.
TEA LOVERS TEA (main image)
Mariage Frères’ stunning salon de thé in Covent Garden is a must-visit for tea lovers. Select from over 1,000 aromatic varieties of tea, including the iconic Marco Polo, before indulging in a luxury Parisian afternoon tea with tea-infused scones, sandwiches and perfect patisserie made fresh each day. From £50pp.
EXOTIC TEA
The Summer Garden Collection at Pan Pacific London in the City is a wonderful offering of Kopi Tim, Singapore’s take on afternoon tea. Start off with Siu Mai dumplings in a variety of flavours including salmon roe and mushroom, alongside steamed lotus and sweet potato buns. Then indulge in delicate patisseries inspired by summertime gardens including the Lemon Drop with lemon verbena, raspberry and peach or the Basil Smash with strawberry, basil and kalamansi a glass of English sparkling wine. A very special experience served in The Orchid Lounge. From £62pp.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
