I love Afternoon Tea and it’s my favourite thing to enjoy with family and friends. So when Daddy suggested we recreate the experience at home for the children, I was all in. It also happened to fall on National Tea Day, so it felt like the perfect family activity. We tried to make it look authentic and the kids absolutely loved it. Here’s how we did our special family Afternoon Tea at home during lockdown.
The first rule was that Daddy only wanted to use what we already had in the cupboards—no supermarket trips. We had tuna, cheese and eggs, so those became our sandwich fillings. Daddy also had ingredients for scones, cake and cookies, so the patisserie options were sorted.
I looked up the tradition of English Afternoon Tea and found out it started in Bedford. The 7th Duchess of Bedford at Woburn Abbey began the habit because she felt a “sinking feeling” between lunch and a late dinner, so she ordered tea, bread and cake in the afternoon. I found that fascinating, especially since we live about 30 minutes from Woburn Abbey and often visit. Afternoon Tea soon became an occasion to use your best china and table linens.
With that in mind, I took out our nicest china and set the table, complete with a pretty menu on a stand and a fact sheet on the whiteboard. The whiteboard sparked conversation—Noah quickly worked out the social ritual is almost 280 years old.
Our best china is from Bombay Duck’s Doolittle collection and I love it. It’s elegant but modern, with gold detailing that brightens the table. We used four cups and saucers, four plates, a teapot, a sugar bowl and a milk jug. Isla thought it was just like the tea parties she plays with her soft toys and dolls. I can’t wait to do another family Afternoon Tea soon.
When you make the sandwiches, keep them simple—especially for kids. Coronation chicken is a traditional choice, but there’s no point making something your children won’t eat. We stuck to Tuna with mayo, Grated Cheese, and Egg Mayonnaise. Make the sandwiches as you normally would, cut the crusts off and slice them into finger shapes. For some reason those look more appealing, and every finger sandwich disappeared.
Daddy baked fruit scones and cupcakes fresh that morning, but if you prefer you can bake ahead and freeze them, then take them out the morning of your tea. Make whatever your family enjoys—chocolate cakes, fancy biscuits or even macarons.
Once everything was ready we wanted to eat right away—there’s nothing worse than stale bread—so we served the sandwiches last to keep them fresh.
Here’s a quick checklist for setting up a family Afternoon Tea at home: it’s a lovely lockdown activity you can do in the dining room or the garden, weather permitting.
