03/13/2024
Afternoon tea consists of tea (offer at least two choices) served with three courses. You can make each course as simple or elaborate as you want:
1) The sandwich course is the largest course, which may as an option, also include small bite size savouries such as mini varieties of quiches, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and pork pies.
Traditional sandwich fillings include: cucumber; egg mayonnaise with cress; smoked salmon with cream cheese; Coronation chicken and ham & mustard.
Allow for at least two rounds of 3 servings per person (total of six items per person). Offer sandwiches with a choice of 3-4 filings on a mixture of brown and white bread. If including savouries, a choice of one or two options is perfectly sufficient.
For example, you could serve: cucumber sandwiches on white bread as the vegan/vegetarian option, smoked salmon & cream cheese on brown bread and coronation chicken on sourdough bread. With a savoury option of mini cheese and tomato quiches.
2) The scones course, served with clotted cream and strawberry jam. You may wish to offer a second preserve such as lemon curd, but not in replacement of strawberry jam. Scones may be offered with the choice of plain or fruit and should not usually be presented already assembled (except for large catered events) serve warm when possible. Depending on the size of the scones, allow up to two scones per person or estimating 1.5 per person is usually a safe bet. Clotted cream is rich and sweet in taste, thick and spreadable like butter. Clotted cream recipe https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/257734/chef-johns-clotted-cream/
3) The sweet course is cakes and small individual desserts. Normally presented as a choice of two traditional whole cakes such as Victoria Sponge/Sandwich, Lemon Drizzle, Coffee and Walnut, Carrot Cake, Chocolate Fudge Cake or Fruit Cake. Plus optional smaller individual bite sized desserts such as mini puddings (ganache, mousse, jelly etc.) and French pastries (tartlet, eclairs, macarons etc)
For example if you included desserts, you could offer one cake such as lemon drizzle cake and macarons. Or if you eliminated the whole cake option, extend to three desserts i.e. tartlet, eclairs and jelly.
For two people, a three-tiered stand is perfect for serving the three courses of afternoon tea as organised as in this picture or also sometimes displayed with the scones on the top level. As this is usually the smallest sized plate, the scones can be piled and kept wrapped in a linen cloth to keep warm. Sandwiches are always on the bottom level. For larger groups use a mixture of serving plates, silver trays and single tier cake stands. You may wish to pre portion on plates for larger catered events, separating as vegetarian or meat.
A royal afternoon tea is when champagne is served with afternoon tea.
Sending hugs ❤️ Claire
