10 Steps to Afternoon Tea
1. Invite. No need to formally write an invitation to tea, make it easy on yourself and do it by phone. Invite as many people as you can handle or stand.
2. Prepare sandwiches. Does it matter what kind? Not at all! Egg salad; boil a few eggs, add mayo, salt and pepper, dab of mustard or chopped green onions. Ham, well even a 5 year old can make a ham sandwich. A vegetarian version, say cheese or cucumber and cream cheese. If you make four sandwiches each cut in four pieces it looks like a lot! The trick is to cut the crusts off and make some different shapes.
3. Bake Scones. Make your own, buy them at the market or use a mix. Buy some good quality jam and clotted cream at the dairy counter. If your guests are always on diets, skip the clotted cream it will be a waste, just serve butter.
4. Visit the Bakery. Sweets are no problem for you bakers out there. For the rest of us, just go to your favourite supermarket bakery and buy one of a few of their offerings. They sell huge pieces which can each be cut in four.
5. Build a tiered tray. Don’t have a nice three tiered tea tray? Build your own. Start with a small inverted bowl on the bottom (if it’s a glass bowl put a flower in it) place your largest glass or china plate on top of the bowl. Now you are at tier two; place a small cup, vase, or another inverted bowl and put a slightly smaller plate on top and continue on to tier three.
6. Lay a nice cloth. Don’t have one? A nicer paper cloth will do. Or, just sprinkle the table with flower petals; real ones or fake from the dollar store–just to up the ante. Buy some cocktail napkins too, paper is fine.
7. Set the table. Get out grandma’s old tea cups that have been sitting in the cupboard forever, some small plates, knives, spoons, milk and sugar and of course the tea pot.
8. Arrange your offerings. Start with sandwiches on the bottom, second tier with scones and arrange the top tier with fresh strawberries and sweets. It looks spectacular.
9. Make the tea. A good quality loose tea may be a bit messy but worth it for the fresh aroma and taste.
10. Serve and Enjoy. Pour the tea, let guests help themselves, chat and have a relaxed and happy time. Always if the hostess if relaxed and has fun, so does everyone else.
List provided by Louise Fox-Canada’s Etiquette Expert, www.etiquetteladies.com
