There are few rituals that seem as quintessentially English as the pomp and elegance of afternoon tea. Nowadays tea time typically involves a cuppa with some biscuits or scones, but traditional afternoon tea is still a beloved affair you can experience at cafes, restaurants, or hotels. With your traditional tea time set up, you’ll likely find delicate and intricately decorated china, petite silver spoons, tiered plates filled with finger sandwiches, scones, and desserts, alongside loose-leaf tea steeping in a teapot centerpiece. But even though afternoon tea and the rituals surrounding it are deeply embedded in British culture, the tradition itself isn’t actually that old.
Tea didn’t actually show up in Britain until the 17th century when Catherine of Braganza, hailing from Portugal, married King Charles II and introduced him to the beverage originally from China. From there, the formal event we know as afternoon tea didn’t become popular in high society until the 1830s-1840s, when the duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russell, decided dinner at 7:30 p.m. was too long to wait to eat after a light lunch at noon. Once the duchess started having tea and snacks in the mid-afternoon, inviting other aristocrats of the day to join her, the tradition spread and became popular in elite social circles.
Fast-forward to the present, however, and you don’t have to have land or a title to enjoy afternoon tea. In fact, you don’t even have to go to the Ritz-Carlton in London to nibble on small cakes and biscuits with a cup of freshly-brewed Earl Grey. Recreating a traditional English tea set up at home is always a possibility, and it can be as simple or as involved as you want it to be. If you’re really looking to do it up, we have a few recommendations on how to make your classic tea party feel more authentic.
Expand Your Tea Selection
Whether you’re a seasoned tea drinker or a recent tea convert who hopped off the coffee train, wading through the unending tea options to find the blends that belong in your pantry can be confusing. Black, green, herbal, or floral — you have a lot of options to choose from, which is why a subscription box can be very helpful.
Sips by is a great place to start when amassing your tea collection before entertaining. Each box costs $15 a month and is curated based on your personal flavor preferences. After you create a personal profile, Sips by will send you four different tea varieties, some in bags and some loose-leaf. Each box produces 15 or more cups so you can really let your tea flag fly.
Buy it here: Sips by Subscription | $15 a month
Start Your Set With a Classic Teapot
Similar to dinnerware, the design of tea sets are a personal preference. They’ll all do the same thing — brew or hold tea along with anything you might want to put in that tea — but choosing an aesthetic and running with it is half the fun of afternoon tea. Maybe you like strictly classical bone-white china to showcase against your finger sandwiches, or maybe you’re looking for something a little more eye-catching.
For a blend of the modern and the classic, we recommend this Botanic Teapot from Anthropologie.The floral print and gold trim reminds you of an elevated version of your grandmother’s teapot with a lot more color. You can also get a creamer, pitcher, and platter in the same pattern if you want uniformity at your tea table.
Buy it here: Botanica Teapot | $68
Get a Quality Kettle
Contrary to popular belief, heating up water in the microwave is not a sufficient way to make tea. Anyone worth their weight in oolong knows you need a solid kettle that whistles to heat up your water before steeping tea in a pot.
This stovetop tea kettle is made with durable, rust-resistant stainless steel and covered with high-temperature paint so the color won’t fade after repeated use. The top handle and the handle on the spout are heat-resistant, meaning you won’t have to bust out the oven mitts after your kettle whistles, and it can be used on gas stoves, electric stoves, or induction cookers.
Buy it here: Stovetop Whistling Teapot | $30 | Save $2 with coupon applied at checkout
Have Fun With Selecting Tea Cups
Choosing what tea cups will grace your table at tea time can be another fun opportunity to stray from the functional into the fanciful. Tea sets come in a variety of looks and price points, but if you want something that feels classic with hints of the modern, this geometric tea set is it. The full set comes with a plate, a cup, and a spoon, and is available in eight different colors and patterns. Made from porcelain, this tea set will be just as delicate as traditional tea sets with mid-century sensibilities.
Buy it here: Geometric Tea Set | $40 | 15% off with code JANLOVE
Glass tea cups and teapots are also a fun, modern trend that allow you to enjoy the color and consistency of the tea you’re brewing. If you’re opting for flowering tea, a glass tea set is definitely the way to go. This set, available in both green and white and with or without the tray, is definitely less traditional and more eclectic than most. Featuring one clear pot and four fish bowl-like cups in crown saucers, it’s perfect if you’re looking for Alice in Wonderland vibes.
Buy it here: Glass Tea Set | $155 | 15% off with code JANLOVE
Find Teaspoons You’ll Want to Hold With Your Pinky up
Sure you can scoop in your sugar or stir your milk with a regular spoon, but what’s the fun in that? Small, refined teaspoons are a tea time staple, so why not embrace it? We like this set of four gold spoons with ceramic patterns on the handle because they look like something off a royal table, but cost significantly less.
Buy it here: Four Piece Teaspoons | $11 | Normally $12
Remember Your Tea Strainer
If you’re a loose leaf tea fan or ready to experience life outside the bag, you’re going to need a tea strainer. Some teapots will come with the strainer inside of them, but for those that solely steep tea, it’s good to have a strainer that will fit over your cup. This strainer comes equipped with a handle and is made with a fine stainless steel, ensuring that even the tiniest bits of loose leaf won’t ruin your tea-drinking experience. And if you want, it can double as a cocktail strainer.
Buy it here: Stainless Steel Strainer | $7
Lay Out Your Treats
During afternoon tea, you need to make sure you’re coming in hot with the snacks, or the tea will have nothing to wash down. Scones with clotted cream, Victoria sponge slices, and finger sandwiches are all classics, but you can lay out just about any snack you want with your tea, as long as it’s set up in style. This watercolor tiered stand comes with either two or three bone china plates and a gold-finished handle for some added regality.
Buy it here: Watercolor Tiered Stand | $92 | 15% off with code JANLOVE
Main photo by Lilly Trott/Shutterstock.
