Doing afternoon tea at home

[LisaJool]

If you were doing afternoon tea at home what would you serve? Did a bit of a practise run with sandwiches and they looked a bit rubbish - by the time I'd cut the crusts off the bread had flattened and they weren't identical sizes. Does that crust less bread even exist now?
Please hit me up with your ideas!

I would keep the crusts but make triangles and then stand them up. You need a really sharp knife and they'll look good.

Scones, cakes, fruit.

My top tip for the sandwiches: go for finger sandwiches. Cut off the crusts and it looks amazing. Cut horizontally for long buy manageable finger sandwiches. If you are desperate for triangles, buy the squarest load of bread you can, then don't cut corner to corner.a second time, adjust your knife to make the triangles more equal. Use a bread knife, that is a long serrated knife to get the crusts off. A more expensive bread will had.its shape better usually.

I often make these type of sandwiches. I used to work for a catering company that were famous for them (poached chicken). I cut mine with an electric knife.

I would do a couple of types of sandwiches, chicken, smoked salmon maybe.

Scones, a slice and a cake or mini cupcakes.

if you make the sandwiches ahead, arrange them on the plate, then get a Chux and wet it with cold water, wring it out well and cover the sandwiches with it. Then cover with Glad-wrap but not tightly.

We had afternoon tea in a cafe yesterday and they served canapés and bruschetta and mini tarts rather than sandwiches.

Chill the sandwiches for an hour in the fridge before cutting, they keep their shape much better that way.

@sausage767 what is a chux? Get gladwrap is a brand name for cling film overseas but chux is a new one!

Sandwiches - egg mayo, cucumber and cream cheese, smoked salmon
scones w jam and clotted cream
some type of cake like carrot or coffee and/or cupcakes
love an afternoon tea!

I think it’s J cloth

Finger sandwiches and use a bread knife, saw dont press if that makes sense. Or get the little mini sub rolls in waitrose or M&S, not finger rolls.

Thank you all, taking note.

For presentation see if your local charity shops have got lovely cake stands or china platters (if your budget stretches that far) otherwise check Amazon for Talking Tables, they do some lovely vinyl cardboard re-usable ones.

Absolutely, finger sandwiches are the way to go.
Ensure your fillings have a bit colour.
Smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber.
Roast beef with horseradish mayo and water cress
Brie with cranberry sauce
Ham and piccalilli
Houmous with roasted red pepper and carrot ribbons
(I'm not suggesting all of these, just ideas)

If you are going to add 'wet' salad items, slice and lay on kitchen paper first to prevent soggy bread.

Yes, I think it’s a j cloth? Blue, comes on a roll? Known down under as a Chux Superwipe!

Good advice from the gist of it but please proofread/edit so it makes full sense :)

Good point about the square bread - I find some of our brands are more square than others, which may have tin indents, and don’t squash it, if I send my DH out out to buy bread for tea sandwiches I always remind him ‘don’t squash the bread!’.

I like just plain white bread taste wise, but a mix of white and brown can be more aesthetically pleasing to some people.