Page 3 | Afternoon Tea or High Tea?

Allseeingallknowing · 25/02/2026 15:02

Bananaramad · 25/02/2026 06:42

I'm Irish, I have no idea what it entails, but my Granny used to say "they're having high tea off a low table" 😁no idea what that meant either.

I would take that to mean they are trying to be something they’re not!

WearyAuldWumman · 25/02/2026 15:00

RaraRachael · 25/02/2026 13:43

@WearyAuldWumman same meal names with me.

Dinner was meat and 2 veg with boiled tatties followed by a milk pudding.
Tea was bacon and egg, macaroni or the dreaded liver and onions.

That sounds very familiar. :)

Allseeingallknowing · 25/02/2026 15:00

Needspaceforlego · 25/02/2026 14:53

Cream tea sounds like a variant of Afternoon Tea.
Definitely different to High Tea.

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A cream tea is just scones, cream, jam and tea.
Afternoon tea is dainty sandwiches, savouries, scones, jam and cream , assorted fancy cakes. Tea.

Needspaceforlego · 25/02/2026 14:53

Genevieva · 25/02/2026 14:21

In my experience, I think you’re right. I think it’s a Northern thing.

A cream tea is scones, jam, cream and a lot of tea, along with dainty sandwiches. It replaces a mid-afternoon cuppa with a biscuit, whereas high tea replaces the need for an evening meal.

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Cream tea sounds like a variant of Afternoon Tea.
Definitely different to High Tea.

Needspaceforlego · 25/02/2026 14:52

Klug · 25/02/2026 14:23

The Old bank in Callender does a traditional high tea still (scroll down!).

https://oldbankcallander.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Afternoon-Tea.pdf

Now I’m hungry!

That sums it up perfectly.
I'd forgotten about the bread to go with High Tea 😋

Tooearlyfortea · 25/02/2026 14:26

YANBU @Sunshineismyfavourite, but what is the ‘whole cream tea debacle’ that you refer to?

Klug · 25/02/2026 14:23

The Old bank in Callender does a traditional high tea still (scroll down!).

https://oldbankcallander.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Afternoon-Tea.pdf

Now I’m hungry!

https://oldbankcallander.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Afternoon-Tea.pdf

Genevieva · 25/02/2026 14:21

Needspaceforlego · 25/02/2026 14:15

Whats cream tea?

So I'm right in thinking there is a regional thing going on with High Tea its never found in the south.

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In my experience, I think you’re right. I think it’s a Northern thing.

A cream tea is scones, jam, cream and a lot of tea, along with dainty sandwiches. It replaces a mid-afternoon cuppa with a biscuit, whereas high tea replaces the need for an evening meal.

turkeyboots · 25/02/2026 14:16

As a child in Scotland we would go to the local hotel for a High Tea. It always included a mixed grill or a pie, as well as cake and tea.
I always thought of it as a Scottish thing, never met another one outside Scotland.

Needspaceforlego · 25/02/2026 14:15

Genevieva · 25/02/2026 14:08

The only relatives in my family who had high tea were from the north of England. Neither my Scots nor the Cornish relatives ever had high tea, though they would have a cream tea as a treat.

Whats cream tea?

So I'm right in thinking there is a regional thing going on with High Tea its never found in the south.

Needspaceforlego · 25/02/2026 14:13

ChessieFL · 25/02/2026 11:19

According to this website high tea is called that because it was served at a high table with high backed chairs (i.e. a proper dining table) whereas afternoon tea was served on low tables with comfy chairs/sofas.

b-bakery.com/london/blog/difference-between-high-tea-and-afternoon-tea#:~:text=So%20what%20is%20'high%20tea'%3F&text=The%20phrase%20'high%20tea'%20started,accompanied%20by%20a%20hot%20meal.

I think that website has it slightly wrong, the difference between tea and high tea is the scones and cakes after it.

Tea is eat at home, High tea is a restaurant marketing ploy - tea with cakes and scones.

Supper and Tea are different, Supper is a protein with chips (fish Supper, sausage supper) usually taken away. A fish tea is on a plate with chip n peas!

Genevieva · 25/02/2026 14:08

The only relatives in my family who had high tea were from the north of England. Neither my Scots nor the Cornish relatives ever had high tea, though they would have a cream tea as a treat.

RaraRachael · 25/02/2026 13:43

@WearyAuldWumman same meal names with me.

Dinner was meat and 2 veg with boiled tatties followed by a milk pudding.
Tea was bacon and egg, macaroni or the dreaded liver and onions.

AtIusvue · 25/02/2026 13:40

High tea growing up in Scotland was:

4-5pm, hot meal with tea and scones/cakes served afterwards.

WearyAuldWumman · 25/02/2026 13:09

Re: the working class point. Yes, that's right.

When I was a child, we had breakfast in the morning, dinner at what most people now call lunchtime (at school we had it in the dinner hall) and our meal in the afternoon was just referred to as 'tea': maybe bacon and eggs followed by. jam sandwiches (aka 'a piece on jam') and cups of tea.

Maisey1991 · 25/02/2026 11:39

Sunshineismyfavourite · 24/02/2026 22:29

A hotel I visit sometimes is currently advertising a 'High Tea' for Mother's Day. The menu is sandwiches, quiche, scones and cakes. But that's not 'High Tea' is it? That is an 'Afternoon Tea'. A high tea where I come from is a late afternoon meal like a 'proper' dinner - meat, veg, potatoes etc. of some description.

The hotel do brand themselves as being a bit top tier. It irritates me that they are calling it a 'High Tea' as if they are being too posh to do an afternoon tea or something. And don't get me started on the whole 'cream tea' debacle!

YANBU - it's afternoon tea - they are unreasonable to call it a high tea.
YABU - it's a high tea/who cares what they are calling it!

This post is outside my tax bracket. Who takes these thing seriously 😂😂😂

RaraRachael · 25/02/2026 11:38

To me, afternoon tea is sandwiches, scones or pancakes then fancy cakes.

When I was young, hotesl did a High Tea which was a cooked course with tea and toast then plain and fancy cakes. Think it's died out now,

ChessieFL · 25/02/2026 11:19

According to this website high tea is called that because it was served at a high table with high backed chairs (i.e. a proper dining table) whereas afternoon tea was served on low tables with comfy chairs/sofas.

b-bakery.com/london/blog/difference-between-high-tea-and-afternoon-tea#:~:text=So%20what%20is%20'high%20tea'%3F&text=The%20phrase%20'high%20tea'%20started,accompanied%20by%20a%20hot%20meal.

lottiegarbanzo · 25/02/2026 11:06

I have noticed that the terms have been confused in other countries.

lottiegarbanzo · 25/02/2026 11:04

You’re right. High Tea is an early dinner - but with lots of things on the table, like a sit-down buffet. Very Famous Five.

Afternoon Tea is a delicate selection of ‘snacks’ to keep you going until dinner at eight.

Comefromaway · 25/02/2026 11:01

It irritates me that they are calling it a 'High Tea' as if they are being too posh to do an afternoon tea or something.

Especially annoying as High Tea is a traditional working class/manual workers meal. Even in Enid Blyton farm workers were referenced.

BaronessEllarawrosaurus · 25/02/2026 11:01

High tea for me wouldn't necessarily be hot but would be predominantly savoury, boiled eggs, pork pie (large not individual) ham, bread and butter, salad, potatoes, yes it could include quiche. Any cake or scones after were just to fill any last gaps. The sort of things where you could just eat as much or as little as wanted and wouldn't spoil if you weren't always on the dot. (North of England farming community)

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 25/02/2026 10:49

High tea is hefty and hearty
Aftetnoon tea is delicate and light

BobbyGentry · 25/02/2026 10:49

For me, High Tea is a Scottish tradition, served between 5pm - 6pm, includes hot food, meat such as gammon and pineapple, gammon and egg, local fish, chips, salad, pot of tea, followed by a selection of scones etc. You have to choose your main protein and the rest comes as a set.

Comefromaway · 25/02/2026 10:41

Yes, high tea would include hot food. It's basically an early dinner. Where I live everyone still calls their main evening meal tea.