Celebrate Afternoon Tea Week 2023

Aug032023

Get ready for an afternoon of sipping and savouring a variety of delightful blends and tasty treats. So, grab your friends, pour the tea, and let’s have a proper National Afternoon Tea Week celebration!

National Afternoon Tea Week 2023

It’s time to channel your inner royalty! Whether you’re a fan of finger sandwiches, sweet treats or our favourite, scones, we have something to make your afternoon treat extra special. Afternoon Tea Week is the perfect excuse to indulge in the British tradition. Celebrated between 7 and 13 August 2023.

Facts About Afternoon Tea

It is well known that the Duchess of Bedford is credited for creating the version of the afternoon tea we know and love in the 1840s. Finding the long stretch between lunch and dinner, the light meal of sandwiches and cakes, eaten with a pot of tea, was an excellent stand-in for the middle of the afternoon. She soon began inviting her friends to join her. But there are some other did you know facts about afternoon tea.

Scones didn’t appear in the afternoon tea spread until the early 20th Century.
High tea was the working-class man’s main meal of the day and included bread, meats and pies, generally eaten at the dining table – where you sit up high.
Afternoon tea was for the higher classes, as it was generally consumed at a coffee table or lounging on a comfortable sofa.
Cream tea is something different altogether. It originates in Tavistock, Devon, where monks served bread with clotted cream and jam to workers rebuilding the Abbey.
Jam or cream first? Well, that depends on where you are from. In Cornwall, it is jam first, then cream, but Devonians do the opposite.
Holding a traditional teacup can be tricky, but etiquette experts see holding your pinkie up as unnecessarily fiddly and potentially impolite. One thing experts do agree on is that you should never look over the cup while you drink the tea.

How Long Does Afternoon Tea Last?

The average afternoon tea lasts about an hour and a half. But it can be as short as 45 minutes and as long as three hours. It all depends on how long you take to eat and if you pause in-between tiers. At times, you may be given a time limit by the restaurant. You should be informed when you book, which your host may re-iterate.

Afternoon Tea Week Offers

Future Inn Cardiff

The Thomas Restaurant team likes to do it differently and guarantee a Taste of Wales in the afternoon tea selection. The traditional menu of delicious finger sandwiches, mouth-watering homemade cakes and handmade scones with lashings of clotted cream and jam is enhanced with Welsh products and ingredients.

From £19 per person

Upgrade to include a G&T, cocktail, or bottomless Prosecco for £29 per person.

Book by calling 02920 487111, by emailing thomas@futureinns.co.uk or online:

Book Online

Future Inn Plymouth

In Fishbone Restaurant, the traditional afternoon tea menu comes with delicious finger sandwiches, mouth-watering cakes and scones with lashings of cream and fruit jam. It is also served with unlimited servings of freshly brewed tea or coffee between 1pm-5pm daily. Gluten-free and vegan options are also available.