I really love afternoon tea, so while we all have more time at home I figured there’s no time like the present to have a go at doing it myself. Afternoon tea out can be fun, but it’s also pricey!
I originally planned on making items from scratch but I was really pleased to discover Trader Joes had a lot of pre-made options perfect for afternoon tea at home. I purchased two different breads, one pack of scones, one box of desserts, chicken salad, egg salad, salmon, chive and onion cream cheese, goat cheese and strawberries. These items cost about $40 and was enough for at least four servings so quite the savings.
Most restaurants that serve afternoon tea have a three course menu : savory (tea sandwiches), scone, and sweets and I followed this model. For the tea sandwiches we had :
Cucumber and cream cheese
Curry Chicken salad
Egg salad
Goat cheese and strawberries
Salmon and cream cheese
Tea sandwiches typically do not have crusts so I did cut all the crusts off of the bread before making the sandwichs and then cut the bread into squares, triangles and rectangles.
For the scones I warmed them in the oven and the desserts whet straight from the box (thawed overnight in the fridge) to the tray.
Once I had the menu set and groceries in the fridge it was time to set the table for tea.
I already had everything on our table. I think a three tiered tray makes afternoon tea at home feel just like it would going out but if you don’t have one any platter will do. I also think it’s fun to use a nice tea pot – I have a small collection but you can just steep tea bags individually in your cup if you prefer.
If you would like to get a three tier tray check out my recommendations here .
If you are looking for a teapot check out my recommendations here .
For a tea time setting you will want a plate with a charger or placemat underneath, a tea cup and saucer, a tea spoon, a water glass and a napkin. I have my grandma’s collection of royal doulton tea cups so we used those. I think cloth napkins makes things fancy but do what works for you. To set the tone we played Vitamin String Quartet on our Amazon Echo – they cover popular songs with classical instruments.
We have a lot of tea in the house already so I decided instead of making one large pot of tea to do a tea flight. Our teas choices were just a mix of we had on hand – pretty much anything goes with you tea selection. While all three were good the Rose was the favorite of the day.
We did get dressed up a little just to make an event of it but I think a pajama tea could be a lot of fun too! Honestly I just didn’t feel like wearing a lot of makeup, you on the other hand might want to get all glammed up – you do you!
If you have any questions about how to have afternoon tea at home let me know! I hope this post has inspired you to take some time to do something special and fun at home.