If I invite you round for afternoon tea, what will you expect to eat?

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I'm inviting my sister and her daughter (15) over for Afternoon Tea and am looking for ideas.

What would you provide?

My afternoon tea is

Prosecco

Finger sandwiches:
smoked salmon and lemon cream cheese
Cheese and chutney
Ham and mustard
Egg and mayo

Scones with clotted cream, butter and jam

Miniature cup cakes or a slice of vic sponge

I freeze leftovers

Yesterday someone sent me afternoon tea in a box. The sandwiches were egg, ham and cheese on a variety of breads, there were crisps, fruit kebabs, scones with jam and cream and two sorts of buns.

Sandwiches, pretty cakes, little brownies, scones with cream plus tea and Prosecco!

A relaxed atmosphere.

Nice loose tea- a choice of teas would be nice. If I could get my own teapot and abundant hot water on the table so I don't have to keep asking for refills, I would be extremely grateful. Cups that are not too small would be ideal.

Victoria sponge. Something with chocolate. Any kind of sandwich made with proper bread.

Nothing made with margarine or fake cream.

A cream tea (scones, with plenty of jam and clotted cream which people can apply themselves.)

Tea to wash it down with, or Prosseco for your friend if you think she might prefer it.

A selection of finger sandwiches.

Various cakes to choose from (ideally small ones such as fondant fancies.)

come round for a cup of tea = tea, and maybe cake or biscuits

If offered Afternoon Tea, I will be looking forward to sandwiches as well as cake. Not fussed which but would love you forever if you did coronation chicken. I am a proud and unrepentant scone snob, and would only want a home-made one.

WTF is a finger sandwich? Sounds gruesome!

I've read the whole thread wondering that.

Are they finger-shaped sandwiches, crustless sandwiches or just sandwiches?

I love scones and clotted cream, and if I were doing an afternoon tea at home, I'd make mini scones (generally plain, as DS doesn't like fruit in scones). Scones are easy to make, and if it wasn't for the Earl Grey loaf cake DD made yesterday, I'd probably make some scones today.

All of the above, but with the addition of silver spoon/s for the jam/s.

Salmon and cream cheese is the best afternoon tea sandwich IMHO. Not everyone likes salmon though, so you could make others so they can choose. Egg and cress is another traditional one.

@Poppinjay

WTF is a finger sandwich? Sounds gruesome!

I've read the whole thread wondering that.

Are they finger-shaped sandwiches, crustless sandwiches or just sandwiches?

I think it's little sandwiches you can pick up with your fingers, not big doorstops that require 2 hands to eat with.

Sandwiches
Scones
Cake

I mean, that’s just bare minimum.

Am experiencing major food envy rn

DD loves the idea of afternoon tea, and when the charity shops are open, we're going browsing for mismatched dainty tea cups and saucers. I'm also going to look for one off, mismatched plates to make a cake stand with.

I LOVE an afternoon tea. I am an afternoon tea tourist and have had hundreds of them. I have gigabytes of photos of the places I've visited. Everything from the very basic pub/small hotel style with grated cheese and pickle white hovis finger sandwiches, bought scones (the perfectly round factory made ones) & Mr Kipling cakes to afternoon tea at the NY Ritz. I've paid everything from £7 to £70 each.

The must have elements that have factored in them all:

Tea
small sandwich selection
scone & preserve
small cake selection

I have loved them all, but my stand outs are: The Balmoral; Gleneagles; The Dome, Edinburgh & Singing Kettle in Dartmouth. On my hit list for a visit is Ritz London, British Museum, London & Burgh Island Hotel, Dorset.

Anyone who doesn’t know what a finger sandwich is, is a philistine unworthy of afternoon tea imho

Finger sandwiches, fruit scones with jam and clotted cream, a nice cake.

If a casual one then a couple different sandwiches (say ham with cucumber and salmon with cream cheese); a few different store bought cakes - Kipling's single serving battenburg cake and mini rolls; one type of a scone with clotted cream and jam. One type of tea.
If making it a special occasion, then three or more types of sandwiches, cut in fingers or triangles with crusts trimmed; several cakes - perhaps home made - like a victoria sponge, something chocolatey and a fruit tart type thing; bakery scones, plain and fruited, clotted cream and a couple different jams. A couple different choices of tea in a pot with cups and saucers. Extra points if all served on a three tier cake stand!

Some sandwiches and another small savoury thing. Bit of cake, scone and a brew.

I'd be equally happy with brew n a cake 🤣

Finger sandwiches are cut lengthways ( no crusts) as opposed to triangles or halves.

Love this thread! Great ideas on here.

Definitely agree with folks who said tea in a teapot and nice cups/saucers. Make the table look attractive too - a little vase with a few sprigs of wildflowers and a nice tablecloth. It helps create a relaxed atmosphere.

Fresh scones, jam and cream. Finger sandwiches, and some mini fancies/selection of mini deserts/patisserie selection.

If you've got one, use a tiered cake stand. String up some bunting in the garden! Make sure you offer a variety of teas!

Choice of tea or coffee, a sponge cake and chocolate biscuits. I am not the Ritz.

I ‘d expect sandwiches, scones, small cakes and tea or coffee.

I’d like...wine or sparkling wine ,crisps and a bit off quiche but wouldn’t expect them

Ordinarily scones, sandwiches, small nice cakes, maybe small pieces of quiche, coffee, tea maybe prosecco.

But in the current climate I would be socially distant, certainly wouldn't want or expect you to make or prepare me anything. I would be happy to bring my own camping chair, coffee and a small selection of food and I would stay only an hour (incase I needed a wee).

Except for sandwiches nothing else must be savoury. I've got the Ritz book of Afternoon Tea and it doesn't mentioned mini pork pies or pasties so I don't know where these places get the idea that they should be included in Afternoon Tea. Cake all the way.

This makes me so jealous, I got diagnosed with coeliac disease recently and I've yet to find a new bread I like or how to make a decent cake!
But I used to be a huge fan of an afternoon tea, would definetly want a lovely spread of finger sandwiches, a posh pot of tea, scones and some cake.