How to Host a Traditional Afternoon Tea at Home

A cream tea of scones with jam and clotted cream

Afternoon tea is one of the most civilised traditions in British life. A pot of good tea, delicate sandwiches, warm scones with jam and clotted cream and a slice or two of cake, eaten slowly in good company in the late afternoon. You don't need a grand hotel or a silver tea service to enjoy it. With a little planning, it is one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to entertain at home.

This guide covers the history of afternoon tea, what to serve and in what order, quantities, a simple scone recipe, the great jam-or-cream debate, a little etiquette, a timeline for the day and how to lay the table.

A short history

Tea had been drunk in Britain since the seventeenth century, but afternoon tea as a meal is usually credited to Anna Russell, 7th Duchess of Bedford, in the 1840s. At the time, fashionable households ate lunch around midday and dinner as late as eight or nine in the evening. The Duchess found the long afternoon left her hungry and, it is said, began asking for tea, bread and butter and cake to be brought to her room in the late afternoon.

She soon began inviting friends to join her, first at Woburn Abbey and then in London. The custom spread through society and became a fashionable social occasion, with its own china, dresses and etiquette. By the end of the nineteenth century, afternoon tea was firmly established, served in drawing rooms, tea rooms and grand hotels.

Afternoon tea, high tea and cream tea

Afternoon tea is the light, elegant meal of sandwiches, scones and cakes, traditionally served around four o'clock. It is sometimes called "low tea", as it was served at low tables in the drawing room.
High tea is quite different. It was the main evening meal of working households, eaten at the high kitchen or dining table after work, and included hot, hearty food such as pies, meat, potatoes and bread.
Cream tea is a simpler version of afternoon tea: just tea with scones, jam and clotted cream. It is especially associated with Devon and Cornwall.

The three courses

A traditional afternoon tea is served in three courses, eaten from savoury to sweet. On a three-tiered stand, sandwiches go on the bottom, scones in the middle and cakes on top, though you can just as well serve each course on its own plate or board.

1. Sandwiches

Finger sandwiches should be dainty, crustless and fresh. Use good, thinly sliced bread, white or brown, and soft butter spread right to the edges. Cut each round into three fingers or four triangles. Classic fillings include:

Cucumber, very thinly sliced, with a little salt and white pepper.
Egg mayonnaise with cress.
Smoked salmon with cream cheese and a squeeze of lemon.
Ham with English mustard.
Coronation chicken, created for the coronation of 1953.

2. Scones

Warm scones, split by hand and spread with jam and clotted cream, are the heart of afternoon tea. Plain or fruit scones are traditional.

3. Cakes

Two or three cakes or pastries, in small slices or individual pieces. A classic Victoria sponge, named after Queen Victoria, a lemon drizzle, a fruit cake, shortbread, fruit tartlets or éclairs.

A simple scone recipe

Scones are quick to make and best eaten within a few hours of baking. This makes about eight.

350g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
85g cold butter, cubed
3 tbsp caster sugar
175ml milk, warmed slightly, with a squeeze of lemon juice
1 beaten egg, to glaze

Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) and put a baking tray in to warm.
Mix the flour, baking powder and salt, then rub in the butter with your fingertips until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar.
Make a well, pour in the milk and mix quickly with a knife into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Don't overwork it.
Tip onto a floured surface, fold gently a couple of times and pat out to about 4cm thick.
Cut out rounds with a floured cutter, pushing straight down without twisting, which helps them rise evenly.
Brush the tops with egg and bake on the hot tray for around 10 to 12 minutes, until risen and golden.
Cool on a rack, wrapped in a clean tea towel to keep them soft.

Jam first or cream first?

Few questions divide the country as reliably. In Cornwall, the tradition is jam first, then a spoonful of clotted cream on top. In Devon, cream goes first, spread like butter, with jam on top. Put out both and let your guests decide.

How much food?

Per person, plan on roughly:

Four or five finger sandwiches.
One or two scones.
Two or three small pieces of cake.

Afternoon tea is surprisingly filling, so don't over-cater.

The tea

Offer two teas: a classic black tea and something lighter or more fragrant. Make it properly, in a warmed pot, with loose leaf tea. Our guide to making a proper pot of tea explains how. Our Prince of Wales blend of Assam and Ceylon is smooth enough for the afternoon, while Earl Grey with Cornflowers brings the scent of bergamot.

A timeline for the day

The day before: bake the cakes, make any fillings, lay the table.
Morning: prepare sandwich fillings and slice cucumber.
Two hours before: make the sandwiches, cover with a damp tea towel and keep cool.
One hour before: make and bake the scones.
Fifteen minutes before: arrange the food, put out jam and cream, warm the teapot.
As guests arrive: make the first pot of tea.

A little etiquette

Stir quietly, moving the spoon gently back and forth rather than round and round, and don't leave it in the cup.
Break scones by hand, rather than cutting them with a knife.
Add jam and cream to each bite, rather than covering the whole half at once.
No raised little finger. It is a myth that this is polite. Hold the cup by the handle with your fingers together.
Eat in order: savoury, then scones, then cake.

Laying the table

A linen tablecloth makes all the difference. Our Jemima linen tablecloth in green stripe is a lovely backdrop. Add side plates, cake forks, teaspoons, cups and saucers, a milk jug, a sugar bowl, a slop bowl for tea leaves and a small vase of flowers. Mismatched vintage china looks charming. In winter, light candles in brass candle holders. Tea at four o'clock in December is best by candlelight.

If you're not sure what size of cloth you need, see our tablecloth size guide.