The Vintage Tea & Cake Company

Afternoon Tea Rooms and Catering in Greater Boston

The Vintage Tea & Cake Company

Afternoon Tea Fun Facts

We love catering Afternoon Tea parties! So much so that we thought it would be a fun idea to put together some noteworthy details about Afternoon Tea. Not only is Afternoon Tea the perfect way to glam up an event but it is also a timeless tradition full of interesting historic facts!
  • Afternoon tea is a British food tradition of sitting down for an afternoon treat of tea, sandwiches, scones, and cake.
  •  ‘Tea rooms’ were very popular in the late 19th century, quickly becoming THE place for meeting friends.
  •  Modern formal tea is usually served from 2 pm to 4 pm.
  • Tea should steep for 3-5 minutes according to personal taste
  • A traditional tea starts with finger sandwiches, followed by scones with butter, jam/cream, then small cakes or petit fours.
  •  Afternoon Tea requires the minimal use of cutlery. Scones are to be eaten by hand and not with a fork and knife.
  • Napkin and forks are set to the left of the plate, while butter knife and teaspoon to the right.
  • Always place the teacup to the right of the place setting with the teacup’s handle pointing out.
  •  Sugar and milk should be provided for the tea. Other additions to serve with the tea can be fresh lemon or mint.
  • Historically, milk was put into the cup before the tea to protect the china.
  •  One may assume that England and Ireland drink the most tea but the country where most tea is drunk per person is actually Turkey.