Afternoon tea is a rip off largely aimed at ripping women off

It was my partner who's a man that suggested we went for the afternoon tea. We wanted to experience the 5 star hotel with a Michelin star, but didn't want a whole meal. I think where we had the afternoon tea looked nicer than the Michelin star restaurant.
We wanted to look around the hotel, spa and ground, before deciding if to go back for a meal, but decided we'd like to go back for another afternoon tea.

I trained as a hairdresser, and there's no way I could afford the prices some woman pay for colours, with cuts and blow dries. I go to a salon over the road who just cuts it, and then I go back home with it wet and dry myself with a hot air styler. I put on my own colour, but she said that she would put on a colour I bought in myself for £10. Not very glamorous, but saves lots of money. There's also a salon called Cellys where you can just turn up like a men's barber and have a cheap cut.

This is the content I came for. Every afternoon tea I’ve been to I have not liked and paid a fortune for and it has been linked to being female- hen dos, 40ths, 50ths, girls weekends away and I felt I had to go, certainly did not want to rock the boat.

The only man I have ever seen eating afternoon day was Michael Gove sitting at next table. Seriously that says it all.

Noooo! It's my DH's favourite thing so
we have tried most of them in a 20 mile radius

I read a piece on the Lanesborough London on their Afternoon tea which they said was superb.

Can't find any prices though

An afternoon tea is supposed to be a massive treat. You must have known how much it cost before you bought it. If you think you've been robbed....it is daylight robbery, don't buy it again. Not enough sarnie and too much cake!

These examples don't work. Yes of course there are very expensive things marketed at men as well. But this is talking about when you have two products which are identical (eg razor, pen, shampoo, tea and sandwiches), with one marketed primarily at women and the other at men, the so-called women's products are always more expensive, AND usually worse quality

Probably completely off topic but I remember the first time I had a cream tea. Was 30 years ago on my honeymoon in Cornwall. I grew up in Belfast and we didn’t have such fancy things… that cream tea in Bude has never left me. It was marvellous

I love a posh afternoon tea- not necessarily for the food but the chance to sit somewhere nice for an hour and listen to a pianist or harpist, have a glass of something nice and go at the cakes. Some teas are a bit mediocre but I do really love a nice one. I thought the ritz was too blingy and flashy when we we went but I loved the Dorchester and palm court in London. I’d rather pay an extra £20-30 to get that experience than some of the more mediocre hotel ones that I’ve been too for £30 quid a head.

Soukmyfalafel
Not so fussed about afternoon tea, but why are women's clothes so poorly made? Men clothes seem to last forever.
I think their socks are so much more hard wearing but then they cost loads more (I can get mine for two euro, the equivalent socks for him are minimum five

Where I work ( stately home type place) is considering doing afternoon teas marketed more for men. Basically means more savoury finger food, no elaborate patisserie ( fruit cake and cheese board instead) and a choice of whisk(e)y and rum- based drinks, or red wine, or beer. Women would be actively encouraged to partake, obviously, but the whole stereotype thing does appeal to some.

I may live to regret this, but I think it could fly.

Exactly!! This proves the point, not the opposite. Society pressures women about their looks then charges them loads for beauty treatments. Society markets tea and dainty cakes and sandwiches on pretty crockery as feminine and then charges loads for it. Women can choose whether or not to partake but it's still a symptom of sexist system.

Dh meets up with his mates in a cafe and they get tea and something with it but no, can’t imagine them even contemplating afternoon tea!! It’s lovely for the sitting around but to be honest I’d be happier with tea and a cupcake with friends after having tea and a ham sandwich at home😅

Not so fussed about afternoon tea, but why are women's clothes so poorly made? Men clothes seem to last forever.

If you buy supermarket men's clothes they are sturdy and last forever, but the women's are shit and fall apart easily.

@SusieLawson my parents had a phase of enjoying going to their local one midweek for the deals and we went together a few times. It is incredibly good value.

Women ARE an easier target though. You wouldn't catch a man paying £50 for afternoon tea. You also don't find them paying:

£30 for quick hair trim

£30 to get their nails coloured in

£300 for a handbag

£50 for a pot of face cream

Add you own to this

Are you suggesting there aren't equally stereotypical things which men are 'targeted' to spend unnecessarily large amounts of money on? Cars, bikes, gadgets, trainers?

People are an easy target for things that they like. And if the thing you like is worth that amount of money to you, then it's not a rip-off.

I posted this further down the thread but I missed your comment.
This place is great for savoury afternoon tea if you ever visit the lakes.

I think it’s a people who don’t drink thing - i’m late 40s. I don’t particularly like tea or cake! I’d rather go out for dinner and drinks.

we’ve taken my MIL, grandma and my nieces on special occasions. And a pregnant friend.

That's gorgeous. Is it for two people because it's a banquet?

There are three in Devon and seven in Somerset but their locations are more a high turnover in town pub than a quaint country pub.

I like some of the deals they have on the Greene King app, which includes Hungry Horse. Forget what it was classed as, but it was a salmon dish for about £10, and was really nice. Although I just looked on the app and it seems to have changed since I last went. It now says 2 pub classics for £11.99 from Monday to Friday.

Patriarchal structure places vlaue on women for their youth and looks, so societal beauty standards put pressure on women to conform. Just maybe?

Last time I went, I went with 2 blokes…I don’t know if that blows the theory. Meeting a friend who is hard of hearing and doesn’t drink, so going somewhere quiet for tea was rather lovely. It was £80 a head, you could take anything home, and it was in a lovely hotel.

but mostly, no, I’m not that fussed about the idea….rather go out for dinner.

Internalised misogyny perhaps?

Sometimes I do afternoon tea for dinner and somehow everyone thinks it’s a massive treat. I don’t make my own tiny cakes though. If I have to take a sandwich to work because I don’t have enough leftover lasagne or whatever then I feel hard done by but if I make finger sandwiches and put them on a nice plate then I think they are the best thing ever. There are some shite afternoon teas in hotels and I keep getting adverts on my Facebook for ones that come through the post. If I’m having a scone I don’t want it to have been in a Yodel depot for 3 days then kicked over a gate - I want it 15 minutes after its come out of the oven.