Afternoon Tea
It is National Afternoon Tea Week which - an annual celebration of this great British tradition and the perfect excuse to catch up with loved ones over a cup of tea and some delicacies. We found some great deals and uncovered the origins of the Great British Tea tradition.
Who Invented the British Afternoon Tea?
It's the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russell, who we have to thank for the invention of afternoon tea, sometime around 1840. Due to increasing urbanisation and the rise in industrialisation (including the spread of gas lighting in England), the evening meal was becoming later and later. Whereas in rural farming communities the day had an early start and finished when the sun went down, wealthier classes, unhindered by such practicalities, were now having dinner closer to 9pm – with lunch many hours earlier at midday. The Duchess of Bedford, who was one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, was having none of it. Describing a 'sinking feeling' at about 5pm, she became despondent at the void between lunch and dinner. She requested that some tea, bread and butter and cake was brought to her room in the late afternoon, and from those small beginnings – a great tradition was born.
Great Ideas for an Afternoon out with the Family
It's the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russell, who we have to thank for the invention of afternoon tea, sometime around 1840. Due to increasing urbanisation and the rise in industrialisation (including the spread of gas lighting in England), the evening meal was becoming later and later. Whereas in rural farming communities the day had an early start and finished when the sun went down, wealthier classes, unhindered by such practicalities, were now having dinner closer to 9pm – with lunch many hours earlier at midday. The Duchess of Bedford, who was one of Queen Victoria's ladies-in-waiting, was having none of it. Describing a 'sinking feeling' at about 5pm, she became despondent at the void between lunch and dinner. She requested that some tea, bread and butter and cake was brought to her room in the late afternoon, and from those small beginnings – a great tradition was born.
Great Ideas for an Afternoon out with the Family
Click here for 20% off afternoon tea at the Rosewood near Covent Garden, the Royal Opera House, West End theatres and the main shopping districts. Lots of other discounts on afternoon tea can be found here.
There are lots of afternoon tea treats this summer, especially good if you want any younger members of the family to have a treat. The Chesterfield Hotel's latest menu is the Original Sweetshop Afternoon Tea. Rediscover old favourites and traditional treats with this nostalgic menu that captures the magic of childhood trips to the sweetshop. This whimsical afternoon tea features theatrical smoking pink lemonade and surprising, delicious sweetshop-themed cakes.
The Afternoon Tea Bus involves a vintage London double decker bus which will drive you round Central London, taking in some of the City's best sights, whilst you can indulge in the fabulous ‘B Afternoon Tea’.
For the magical minded amongst the family, you could venture down into the basement of Georgian House Hotel, to enjoy a spellbinding Wizard Afternoon Tea experience, filled with mystery and magic.
The Ampersand have created a new Jurassic themed tea, taking its cue from a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Expect a mix of exciting and curious dishes including a Volcanic eruption, a Jurassic mountain and a Dinosaur egg basket. Take a journey back in time to when the dinosaurs roamed the earth over 200 million years ago and where gastronomy and history collide in a one of a kind dining experience.