British people. I need clarification

[Steaktartar]

So how many different types of ' tea times ' do you have? Is high tea the fancy one with sandwiches and cakes? And just 'tea'? Is that lunch? Also how often do you have high tea? Someone told me everyday or as often as possible? Surely you can't eat cake EVERYDAY?

No problem Whereis

Growing up in Glasgow

Tea- cup of tea. Anytime of day or night.
High tea- early casual dinner out, usually with children
Afternoon t (out) cake tiers, sandwiches and cakes/scones.
Afternoon t in house. Tea and cake. Every day 😄.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Supper before bed if required.

This is Google's definition of high tea

That's definition is just Tea missing the scones and cakes to make High Tea!

Google's talking pish!

You can still get high tea in the part of Scotland I'm in.

As PP have said, it's a meal like fish and chips, gammon and chips, egg and chips, with bread and butter. Followed by a selection of cakes. And of course a pot of tea!

To me it's more something I'd have while on holiday - it's an early evening meal and would be the main meal of the day.

Haven't had one in years, but local places still do them ( and have even updated the concept to include vegan options!)

yeah must admit I swore it had cakes in it as well.

In school we are taught that british has a lot more words, compared to our language. Little did I know it was because of dinner and loo words 😂.

Thank you for clarifying, not sure I'm any the wiser 😀.

I’ve now consulted the Oxford Companion to Food, which says:

High Tea is a substantial late afternoon or early evening meal with tea...as the principal beverage. High tea is sometimes called ‘meat tea’...the composition of high tea - a combination of tea the beverage, cold meats and pies, savoury delicacies, and plenty of baked goods, butter and jam - reflects both the universal spread of tea and the greater availability of sugar as prices came down after the Napoleonic wars. ...the eating of tea, and the existence of two forms, afternoon tea and high tea, provides a lesson in British social history.

There’s quite a lot more - really interesting.

@BalloonSlayer see my post a good few posts below re my confusion at the Kiwi 'Morning Tea'!

I'm in the south, I have tea as an evening meal if it's before 7 ish and eating at the same time as the children. If I'm eating later without them, even if it's the same food, I call it dinner. I am a little weirded out by this tbh as have only just realised that's what I call it in my head!

Never even heard of high tea!

Tea is evening meal, unless going out for a meal then it's dinner. I have no idea why it's different, it just is. I'm in the South West

I think 'high tea' is an old fashioned upper class thing - see Enid Blyton books.

Tea for me is my evening meal (Midlands)

Of course it's also a drink - mainly known as a cuppa.

Oh - and 'afternoon tea' is what you have in a cafe on holiday and consists of little sandwiches and cakes. And scones with jam and cream! Normally eaten around 4 pm

Ah, thenScottish high teas of my youth!

Now it's all afternoon tea.

We have several places that offer high tea

Very popular they are too

Tea/coffee and toast
Then a main course like steak pie
Then cakes, scones and meringues

We used to go to holiday camps in the 70s & the children were served High Tea at about 5pm instead of staying up for dinner. It was things like a boiled egg & toast, cakes etc. I also think the Famous 5 & Swallows & Amazons had high tea.

I think I've concluded that High Tea in Scotland is very different to High Tea in England.

In Scotland it's certainly not an Upper Class thing if anything it would be a Working Class treat. Somebody mentioned locally it costs then £13 for High Tea with steak pie etc.

I think from reading here High Tea in England is more like Afternoon Tea (posh sandwiches & cakes) with the addition of small savories like sausages, and pastries!

I love going out for a high tea, I'm in Scotland & this is def still a thing.
It's like a 3 course meal so
Toast for starter
Main meal from the menu
Loads of cakes for dessert.

I think from reading here High Tea in England is more like Afternoon Tea (posh sandwiches & cakes) with the addition of small savories like sausages, and pastries!

Not to me. It might be cold - cold meats and salad, especially in summer, but it's a proper meal, and there's cake and tea after.

Sorry can't remember what I said. Am not usually rude😢

As others have said...
High tea still exists.
It’s not as posh as it sounds.
Toast, main (such as gammon and chips) cake .
Cop of tea/coffee
Usually affordable price.
Served before 7
Usually old hotels.
Never used the term for meals in the house.
I’m in north Scotland.

I should have clarified in my PP that I asked my new friend over "for tea" because she had told me when I met her that she didn't drink coffee.

What I should have said was "Let's get together at my place. We can have a natter while our DC play."
And have served refreshments (tea, juice, vodka tonics, biscuits or whatever).

As you have seen, OP, the definition of "tea" in the UK depends very much on the individual. It's almost as confusing to natives as it is to foreigners!

Whereismyfigleaf, spot on!

See also the many words for sex and rain...

@Whereismyfigleaf
@PerkingFaintly

See also the amount of words for getting drunk.

Cup of tea
A meal eaten around 5/6ish unless you’re going out for tea, then it’s dinner
Breaks in work are “breakfast, lunch, tea break, last break”