Enjoying afternoon tea perched on a gilded hotel armchair is a fine British tradition, but hardly sustainable as a regular pastime. Throwing your own party means you can control the budget and select your favourite finger food. National cannoli day our tips for how to put on the best afternoon tea party below, and then also check out our collection of afternoon tea recipes.
There’s no need to worry if you’re vegan, as we have plenty of inspiration with our vegan afternoon tea recipes. As we’ve said, there are many benefits to throwing your own afternoon tea party. For starters, you don’t have to stick to purely traditional recipes. Shake things up by trying our afternoon tea recipes with a twist.
Alternatively, you might want to host but want as little hassle as possible. Planning an afternoon tea party to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee this year? Browse our ideas for jubilee recipes and find tips on how to throw a street party. Otherwise, use your best crockery and make it a little more special with lace-like doilies, folded napkins and name place cards. Charity shops are a good source for reasonably priced chintzy chinaware to get that authentic ye olde tearoom look. You’ll need a teapot, teacups, cutlery and cake slicers for serving. See our guide for tips on all the essential baking equipment you’ll need.
Extend your table and dress it with a tablecloth. Fabric shops sell cheap spotted, floral and striped material by the metre which can be very effective for this. String up some bunting or, if you’re feeling ambitious, bake some edible bunting biscuits. Pop them in paper bags so your guests have a little present to take away, or just snaffle them as an entrée.
Make sure the sugar and milk is set on the table, ready to pour your guests a cuppa as they sit down. Iced tea makes for a more refreshing tipple in warmer weather, and adding a touch of Pimm’s will really break the ice. Warm up with more of our comforting tea recipes. However, you could also throw in pastries, petits-fours or biscuits. Don’t wear yourself out by taking on too many ambitious bites, but if you feel like a challenge make sure you get your timings right.