For afternoon tea, you'll set a table with essentials like teacups, saucers, small plates, and dainty cutlery (knife, fork, spoon) for each guest, plus a teapot, milk, sugar, and jam/cream pots, often displayed on a tiered stand with sandwiches, scones, and cakes, along with linens, napkins, and flowers for decor.
An afternoon tea menu should include light cakes, scones, and sandwiches. Traditional sandwich fillings are often cucumber, smoked salmon, coronation chicken or egg mayonnaise. But they should always be served with the crusts cut off - Anne, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, was quite insistent on this point!
Set the Tableware
Plates and Cutlery: For afternoon tea, small plates for sandwiches and pastries should be placed at the centre of each setting. Ensure cutlery is polished and laid out neatly, with forks on the left and knives on the right. A dedicated dessert fork or spoon can be placed at the top.
Usually consisting of a selection of teas, freshly prepared finger sandwiches, scones, cakes and pastries with all the trimmings, a light Afternoon Tea should allow for 4 sandwiches, 2 scones and 2 cakes (of different varieties) per person.
If you are sitting and enjoying afternoon tea, your saucer will stay on the table. Never pick up your saucer — only your teacup. If you are at a garden tea or enjoying tea while standing, you should hold your saucer and bring your cup of tea with you as you enjoy chatting with company and friends.
Avoiding Dunking Your Biscuits or Scones
etiquette dictates that scones, biscuits and other treats should never be dunked into your tea. childish behavior. Instead, enjoy bites of your scones between sips of tea.
A light, printed midi dress offers timeless elegance – perfect for afternoon tea. Whether you go for a plain design or something more floral, a midi dress strikes the ideal balance of style and comfort.
The 3 main foods served at Afternoon Tea are finger sandwiches (no crusts and with fillings such as smoked salmon, cucumber and egg mayonnaise), cake slices or small cakes (such as Victoria sponge) and scones.
Here are some more popular finger food ideas for afternoon tea.
roughly four little sandwiches per person (2 or 3 kinds); 1 average or 2 small scones: always one with cream and jams/honey; sometimes also one savoury variation. 1 or 2 pieces of cake/pastry (if 2, one rich, one simple) a few salad and fruit garnishes: lettuce, cherry tomatoes, celery, cucumber, strawberries, etc…
The 7 essentials for a table setting, from basic to more formal, typically include the Plate (dinner plate), Cutlery (fork, knife, spoon), Glassware (water glass), Napkin, a Table Covering (placemat/cloth), and often Servingware (like a bread plate), plus Decor (centerpiece), providing the fundamental structure for dining. These elements create the foundation, but can be expanded for formal meals with charger plates, multiple glasses, and specialized utensils.
Allow 3-4 sandwiches per person. But don't prepare them too early as they will either go soggy or dry out.
Forks: Placed on the left of the plate. Knives: Placed on the right, blades facing inward. Spoons: Positioned to the right of the knife. Glassware: Set above the knives to the upper right.
How to Set a Table For Afternoon Tea
Traditional afternoon tea desserts include lightly sweetened cakes, like Victoria sponge and Battenberg cake, buttery shortbread cookies and tender scones, perfect for holding clotted cream and jam. These sweets are known for their delicate textures and elegant presentation.
In practice, afternoon tea is usually quite filling. 3-4 flavours of finger sandwiches is usual. If you're a person who loves desserts, I'd aim for 4-6 finger sandwiches each so you can save room for dessert!
Quick nibbles recipes
The Four Precious Tea Snacks
Historically, Huzhou, near the Changjing River delta, is renowned for its tea snacks. “The Four Precious Tea Snakes” include the rose crunchy candy, salty peach slice, sticky candy, and a chewy cake.
Best food pairing:
Opt for delicately flavoured foods that won't overshadow the tea's freshness. Think cucumber sandwiches, buttery shortbread, almond biscotti, or a simple lemon tea cake. Mild cheeses—like brie or fresh mozzarella—also complement its crisp, springtime character.
What to have for tea. There aren't any rules when it comes to the food, but a standard afternoon tea menu comprises a tier of sandwiches, a tier of cakes and one of scones or teacakes. But you could also throw in pastries, petits-fours or biscuits. Don't wear yourself out by taking on too many ambitious bites.
Three key etiquette rules for afternoon tea are: don't stick out your pinky finger; stir gently in a back-and-forth motion (6 to 12 o'clock) and place the spoon on the saucer; and eat foods in the proper order (sandwiches first, then scones, then sweets) using your fingers for most items, but a fork for messy things like scones.
Most venues have a relaxed 'smart casual' dress code these days, so there is no need for men to wear a jacket and tie (unless otherwise specified) - trousers or smart jeans, collared shirt and clean/un-scuffed shoes are acceptable. No sportswear or trainers (sneakers).
The 3-3-3 clothing rule is a simple styling method for creating many outfits from few items: choose 3 tops, 3 bottoms, and 3 shoes, which allows for 27 potential combinations (3x3x3) and reduces decision fatigue, often used for travel or building a minimalist capsule wardrobe. It's a versatile concept, sometimes expanded to include 3 layers (like jackets or cardigans) for even more looks, making dressing easier by focusing on mix-and-match versatility with core pieces.
For footwear, consider elegant options like heels or flat shoes. In the setting of afternoon tea, smart casual attire is ideal for enjoying a special time with those around you.
For older women with a belly, the best dress styles are those that skim the midsection without clinging, like A-line, Empire waist, and Wrap dresses, which define the bust and flow over the tummy, while Shift dresses, Fit & Flare, and Shirt dresses also create flattering silhouettes by defining narrow points or skimming the body. Strategic layering, ruching, and flattering fabrics like cotton or bamboo are also great choices.