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?

Supper is a snack just before bed

Tsk! The toast comes BEFORE the steak pie and cakes! We’re not savages!

And if anyone invited me for supper, I’d be expecting them to hot foot it down to the chipper with my order as I’m expecting a fish supper or a pie supper. Or if it’s just supper, then make me some toast lol

But even that leaves less room for cake! Why would anyone do that?

Nope, never known it to happen - plates are always cleared. It’s a carb marathon, not a sprint. The toast is just a wee starter to get the juices going before the steak pie and chips. Check out the Birkhill Inn website for the full menu- their High Teas are legendary

Every piece of toast you eat represents a little more cake that you could have enjoyed. Toast is nice sure but cake is the food of the gods!(Unless it has raisins in it)

Tea - a cup of
Tea - the evening meal (incorrect in many people's eyes)
Cream tea - pot of tea and a cream scone
Afternoon tea - sandwiches, tea, cakes

I use the top two, have never had the third and only once the fourth (at the Ritz for my grandma's birthday).

To me afternoon tea is cakes , sandwiches etc,

High tea is an early evening meal , much liked by my Scottish grandparents , at about 5pm and comprised things such smoked haddock and poached egg, scotch pie with peas, gammon and a fried/ poached egg,

High tea is also what children have .

Dinner would be a smart evening meal , supper is what we have everyday as an evening meal at the kitchen table

Surely you can't eat cake EVERYDAY?

So I looked and I love food and I'm not a small eater but how on earth are you supposed to eat all that then? Also where's the toast? Is that why Edinburgh people say 'You'll have had your tea then?" because the poor buggers are probably still stuffed from the high tea they had a month ago?

Party tea is crisps, sausage rolls, scotch eggs, little sandwiches, biscuits, maybe a cake. The kind of thing you’d serve at a kids party.

Downbutnotoutyet has used the term I was going to use - 'high tea' is essentially a 'knife and fork' meal. In other words, it involves some form of savoury course, often cooked/hot, and is substantial. The Famous Five et al consumed many a high tea at the farmhouses where they always seemed to spend their summers.....these are hearty meals eaten in the late afternoon/early evening, a rural custom and probably originally for farm workers. It would be pretty unusual for people nowadays to eat this meal regularly, or indeed at all.

'Afternoon tea' is the completely different meal of dainty sandwiches, small cakes and scones, accompanied by pots of tea to drink, i.e. 'finger food'. Traditionally eaten by a different social group, in the early 20thC often well-off women with servants to do the fiddly stuff (preparing and serving it). Now highly fashionable and served by almost every hotel in the land, with varying degrees of success. You can make it at home, obviously, but it's time-consuming and I don't know anyone who does.

'Tea' is the generic term often used in the North to mean the evening meal. Other people might call it dinner, or supper. Because not everyone in the North calls it 'tea'.

I note that OP hasn't been back

It's ok, I misread. They have toast. Panic over, but seriously how the hell can anyone eat that without going all Mr Creosote on the staff? I may have to go there are find out for myself.

NE Scotland and high tea definitely a thing here but only in restaurants/hotels etc. Not in homes generally.

Served between 4 and 6 pm usually. A slightly smaller sized main meal of something like macaroni cheese or a fish supper followed by a selection of various scones and cakes or tray bakes with bread and butter and pots of tea.

pineapple
The toast is in the small print at the bottom of the menu

I call tea the drink.
Afternoon tea would be sandwiches and cake/scones.
Dinner is afternoon meal.
Various on region/person though.

My husband calls it tea drink and tea meal for evening meal.

‘A freshly brewed pot of tea, toast, warm scones and a selection of tray bakes and Fisher & Donaldson cream cakes are all included with our high tea.

It's ok. I posted again to say that I'd found the toast. It still makes no sense to me but I found it.

My eyes have apparently decided to go on strike today as I just read that they serve their steaks with a field mouse.

Some examples available local to me

I’ve not been for years but have find memories. At least I can still have toast

‘Happy’

Thank you. This is oddly fascinating. Do you get a regular restaurant portion of the main or is it smaller because you're going to have all that with it?

I’ve never eaten or seen a high tea.

What remarkably poor English 😑