Your perfect afternoon tea menu?

[izzdino22]

Hi all,

would love to hear what your dream menu for afternoon tea would be if you could pick anything (what type of sandwiches/cake etc), just thinking of some ideas for mothers day

For me things need to be 'light' and small. I love to try lots of things - I don't want to fill up before having tried lots of things.

I don't want huge pieces of cake - I'd rather have small 'bite size' pieces of different cakes.

I definitely like my scones without dried fruit in them.

I don't particularly want little mousses and chocolate stuff - for me 'afternoon tea' should be small sandwiches and light cakes and scones, jam, and cream.

I'd have finger sandwiches:
Ham and cucumber
Egg and cress
Cheese and pickle
Chicken salad
Hummus and roasted pepper

Then I would have scones- in a perfect world these would be cheese!!

Then mini cheese cake (salted caramel or lemon), mini rocky road, mini meringue with raspberry and mini Victoria sponge, plus a slice of lemon and blueberry cake.

I dislike chocolate and fish so my menu is tailored towards that!

Salmon and cucumber sandwiches (tiny ones)
Scones with clotted cream and jam
Scalding hot black tea served in the thinnest of bone china cups
Silk Cut.

I don’t have a terribly sweet tooth so like sandwiches and other savoury bits as well like tiny quiches or tarts. I’m veggie but I’ve seen some so mini/quails egg scotch eggs. I love egg and cress sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, cheese scones with butter and marmite as well as sweet ones with jam and cream.

I’m also not a fan of soft moussy things but custard tarts are amazing, mini sponge cakes, that sort of thing.

If I was doing something like this I'd probably do:

Smoked Salmon with lemon and black pepper
Cucumber and cream cheese
Thinly sliced roast beef with rocket, tomato and horseradish
...and, new addition, after having afternoon tea at The Ivy last year, brioche finger rolls filled with roast chicken in truffle mayonnaise and watercress, which was absolutely heavenly.

Cheese scones and plain scones with strawberry jam, clotted cream and fresh strawberries

Lemon drizzle cake, chocolate brownies and probably either coffee and walnut or carrot cake...all in tiny bitesize portions so you can have at least one of each!

Tea/herbal tea/coffee

Traditional lemonade, Pimms and/or bubbly if you want cold/alcoholic drinks

Fruit scones with jam, butter and clotted cream

A couple of vol au vents, or mini quiches in veggie, vegan and meat if people prefer, Victoria sponge cake, butterfly cakes with real butter icing, chocolate cake, all in small pieces so you can have more than one. Smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwiches, plus others, again small sizesxsonxan have more than one or two sorts, choice of hot drinks, both coffee and tea available. I rarely eat met but a beef and horseradish sandwich would be tempting.

@MintyCedric I am still having food flashbacks to that incredible chicken sandwich at the ivy. Shot right to the top of my afternoon tea menu and I'm not normally fussed by the sandwiches.

I love warm, fruit scones that aren't too big. Served with clotted cream and either strawberry or blackberry jam. For the cakes, nothing too big or sickly. Again, I was a big fan of the ivy selection!

A really good blend of tea. T2 do lots of interesting herbal teas as an alternative including a chocolate tea which I love with afternoon tea.

I don't have a sweet tooth so mine would all be savoury.

Ceylon tea
Cucumber sandwiches
Prawn mayonnaise sandwiches
Quiche - a few different types
Cheese scones with butter

I had one yesterday that was the best ever- it was a gentleman's afternoon tea (I prefer savoury) and consisted of mini burgers, hot pork pie, hot scotch egg (runny yolk), a selection of cheese, and then a few small bite size cakes. It was amazing and I didn't get the sickly feeling I usually get after afternoon tea!

NickMyLipple has it pretty good, but add some chocolate cake or brownies, please. And I like the quiche/savoury tart suggested by Annie and LOVE the traditional lemonade suggestion by Cedric

balala

Creme bruise doughnuts...mmm! Did you have the little chocolate flower pot as well?

If I'm planning anything I usually look at websites. You could Google 'best/quirkiest afternoon teas' or check out Harrods, Selfridges, Claridges, the Dorchester, the Ritz and the Savoy. Betty's is a really good one too - both the standard and the Lady Betty options.

Not bothered on flavours but absolutely finger sandwiches and small bites of cake so you can have a few of each. Hate afternoon tea when you end up with 2 gigantic slabs of the same cake

Yes to tiny pieces of cake/pastries so you can have more than one, the last afternoon tea I went to had full sized portions of cake and scones, I felt sick after one cake and a scone.

Sandwich fillings:
Cucumber
Smoked salmon and cream cheese
Egg and cress
Prawn and marie rose sauce
Roast beef and horesradish
Cheese and pickle

Cakes:
Victoria sandwich
Lemon drizzle
Chocolate brownie
Fruit scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam.

Loose leaf tea or coffee to drink. Fizzy water.

Things I would leave - cold quiche, sausage rolls etc (I only like them hot). Any cake with buttercream on (too sickly and it might be flavoured, which I don't like). I don't dislike mousses, cheesecake etc but don't think they are really afternoon tea items. I wouldn't want alcohol during the day either.

Sandwiches: Beef, tuna, cucumber on nice granary bread
Plain scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam
Cakes: Coffee, lemon
Pork pie
Piccalilli and a bit of salad

Earl grey or lady grey tea
Pink roast beef and horseradish sandwiches
Crab, lemon and rocket sandwiches
Hummus and roast pepper with balsamic vinegar sandwiches.
Smoked salmon spinach and cream cheese bagels or blinis.

And coffee cake and cherry cake

Sandwiches (made on fresh white bread)
Cheese and onion
Beef and horseradish
Chicken and mayo
Ham and mustard

Scone with a pot of clotted cream and strawberry jam

Cakes (small bite size pieces of each)
Victoria sponge
Brownie
Cheesecake
Butterfly cake

A mousse in a shot glass sized pot

Good strong coffee & champagne

I’m dreaming of afternoon teas now! Keeping everything small is a great tip. I had gorgeous AT at the Lanesborough once, with a margarita instead of the usual fizz 😍

The nicest ones have savouries as well as sandwiches, such as mini quiche, blinis with toppings, warm savoury scones, tiny stuffed peppers.

Definitely go for the posher end of sandwich/roll fillings and a wide selection of mini cakes. I'm not too bothered about a mini dessert but bite size brownies, iced cakes, bakewell tart etc would be yummy.

If you are having scones but want to vary things up, Sainsbury’s were selling the most delicious pina colada jam (found it in the alcohol section of ours).

Ooh I love afternoon tea id have
Roast beef, cheese and onion finger sandwiches
Chicken mayo and watercress brioche roll
Macaroons
Lemon drizzle
Bakewell tartt
Warm scone (without fruit) lovely jam and clotted cream
Champagne
best afternoon tea I've had is at the Balmoral In Edinburgh though I've also had a gentleman's one in Manchester which was lovely. Mini fish and chios, pork pie, mini burger, cheese board instead of cakes

I would want:

• delicate seafood sandwiches (either lobster or tuna or prawn mayo with red onion on crust less white bread)

-white asparagus and pepper soup in a tiny bowl (5 spoonfuls maybe)

• creme cheese with strawberry and smoked salmon blinis
• prinzregententorte
• apple cake
• tart cherry cream pots

Oh with Earl Grey of course...

Must have a fruit scone with jam and clotted cream or it’s not afternoon tea, but I really like a cheese and herby scone as part of the savoury selection, too.