How To Host a High Tea

We’re heading into a season of occasions—holiday after holiday. If you are looking for something to set your occasion off and make it memorable, think about hosting a High Tea or an Afternoon Tea.

What’s the difference, you ask? For Americans, it’s subtle. We tend to use it as a meal replacement, meaning we’ll skip traditional lunch and have a mid-afternoon tea with small sandwiches, pastries, and tea. Or, we’ll push it to an evening, after work, and include heartier sandwiches.

Officially, a high tea is served in the evening and may still proceed a late-evening meal. The good news is, you can do what you like—and one of the more popular ways to enjoy the ceremony around it is with friends, in the afternoon, as a special occasion.

Here’s a good definition, from British baking company Patisserie Valerie:

“Whilst they both include tea as a beverage, afternoon tea includes delicate pastries, little sandwiches, scones and cakes. Whereas high tea is typically a more wholesome meal of meat, potatoes and vegetables served after a long hard day at work.”

Now that we have that in mind, there are three tips that are helpful as you plan.

1. Table Settings
Think about where you will hold your tea. Garden settings are traditional, but weather-dependent. For an afternoon tea, the table and chairs are more casual in nature, although still set with lace and flowers. You can even have an afternoon tea in a comfortable room with low chairs and individual side tables. For some, a “high” tea translates literally into the use of high-backed chairs and a formal dining atmosphere.

The addition of the word “high” to the phrase “high tea” is believed to differentiate between the afternoon tea that is traditionally served on low, comfortable, parlor chairs or relaxing in the garden and the worker’s after-work high tea that is served at the table and seated on high back dining chairs. You can learn more by visiting The Spruce Eats.

For our event, we paired 1950s Wexford glassware with individual tea pots, tea strainers, and antique bone china tea cups and saucers. 

2. Menu
The food is what people come for, after all, so focus your attention on what you will serve. Make scones, preferably served with clotted or Devonshire cream. If you are a culinary mystery lover, you could even theme your scones with this scones recipe from the Hallmark series!

Serve cucumber sandwiches, chicken salad, and cream puffs. It’s ok to go store bought, too, especially with petit fours, croissants, and any other pastry or sweet of your choice. Add Jordan almonds, chocolate covered strawberries, cookies, and don’t forget the marmalade and jam for your croissants and scones!

3. Invitees
It’s a special occasion, so invite your friends, your family, or your neighbors. Treat the small children in your life, or surprise the teens. Use it to say thank you, welcome, or just “I appreciate you.” Whomever you include, they are sure to feel valued and honored.