To be sick of "afternoon tea"?

[Geordieminx]

It's gone the same way as cupcakes and "shabby chic" hasn't it?

Afternoon Tea used to be naice.. It's used to be treat but now the world and his wife has jumped on the decking bandwagon.. It's a total rip off and is usually toss

For example.. Hotel today. Country type place, not uber posh but nice.

2 fingers of cheese and pickle sandwiches and 2 fingers of egg.

A one bite sized plain scone

A piece of dry ginger cake

2 petite four sized pieces of short bread.

£20

This is not afternoon tea. It's piss.

It seems that every fecking cafe/bar/hotel now serves afternoon tea to fill the void space between lunch and dinner. £20 for 2 slices of bread, a scone and a piece of cake... You just wouldn't would you? Well no, not if it was served on a plate... But hey stick it on a fancy tiered cake stand and you can charge what you like.

Robbing bastards.

never again

Rant over

More fool you...pack a picnic and get real. "Naice" indeed. If you want a better standard, choose better establishments.

Get your self a McDonalds

The weather is shit in Scotland but thanks... I'll bear that in mind

And that's the thing.. Even the "better" establishments aren't much to write home about. It's still £££ for a couple of sandwiches and a cake but, as per the point I was making 3 x the normal cost because its on a tiered stand.

Bet tea at the Ritz is still naice! Yum. I always think there're too many cakes involved and not enough sandwiches. No good if you're hungry and don't want to eventually vomit.

This is not afternoon tea. It's piss. Love this phrase!

YANBU, it doesn't seem like much for £20!

I reckon you need to go upmarket or down, IYSWIM. So, either cheap caff where you'll get a decent mug of tea and a slab of cake, or else the Ritz.

Same as breakfast, shite in anywhere middle market, great in a greasy spoon, fabulous somewhere properly posh.

Takver this is a good point.

Afternoon tea at the Wolseley is lovely (about £20 I think), but I've paid the same price elsewhere for a couple of curling-up sandwiches and some dried-out sponge cake.

I reckon high tea is the way to go...basically a buffet made up (at home) of everything you're trying to get rid of as well as things like sausage rolls, cold cuts, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, scones, fruit cake, thick white bread and butter, crumpets etc...it's basically 15 meals in one. Hmmmm off to cobble together some kind of high tea.

The Ritz is a wee bit far from Glasgow..

Whilst the tea we had today was toss, I guess it's more the general principle of it... Same as charging £4 for a teeny wee cup cake with 3 tons of icing.

A sandwich a scone and a couple of cakes should not cost £20-£30, but these days people pay it on the pretence that because its on a fecking stand

I should add I have total PMT

I lurve afternoon tea if it is done properly - I too would have been piddled off about dry cake and curly sandwiches.

We received vouchers from Fortnum's when they fecked up our Christmas order a couple of years ago. We went along and had the most magnificent tea - with beautiful old silver tea pots and cake stands - there was so much gorgeous grub I was forcing it down by the end.

The staff were wonderful too - sweeping around and arranging things with little flicks of their wrists; they were so obliging, one nearly lay down so I could walk over him on the way out.*

And it was all free.

.

.

.

.

• this is a lie

I will admit that my views on the Ritz are based entirely on what people tell me, being more of a greasy spoon gal myself

Should you ever come to Pembrokeshire, I can point you in the direction of some excellent cakes, no stands admittedly, but also not twenty quid . . .

I'd take cake in sunny Pembrokeshire above afternoon tea in The Ritz any day of the week.

Now I have had tea at the Ritz and it is amazing and worth every penny.

I have had tea at Claridges, that too was amazing. But yes every crappy restaurant/tea room is jumping on the bandwagon.

When I was last in London I had a gorgeous afternoon tea with several MNetters at, I think, a Hilton. We got a Groupon deal so wasn't horribly expensive and was a few sandwiches but piles of cake, including the plate some of the cake sitting on being made of...chocolate.

::ded from the memory::

£20! They saw you coming! YABU to tarnish all afternoon teas because of this establishment.

Eteaket in Edinburgh is the best value afternoon tea I've had. 4 nice filled triangle sandwiches, massive scone with jam and cream, and set of mini cakes plus tea. Was £15. I couldn't finish the cakes so took them home

I think some places don't really try though. Just something else to add to their menu. Not very good quality at times.

Know what you mean OP. Real Afternoon Tea can be lovely, but is equally likely to be PISS

It is particularly sunny today, Squoosh

Bettys in York/Harrogate do a proper tea. I'm horrified you only got cheese and pickle and egg sandwiches! What about naice ham?

I can recommend a place in the East Mids if any one is interested! Proper sandwiches, HUGE scone with jam and clotted cream and a large slice of freshly made cake. Pot of tea with 3 cups worth in it. At £12 it isnt the cheapest but it is gorgeous!

I was about to say Betty's - not cheap but you're always STUFFED by the end and certainly don't need dinner afterwards.

YABU our local Michelin star restaurant does amazing afternoon tea for £20.

Choose better establishments!

I love tea at Claridges. They just keep bringing the food until you can eat no more!

Made the mistake once of opting for a cheaper afternoon tea at a different restaurant .We had to order and pay for more food to fill us up and ended up paying more than if we had gone to Claridges.

we had a fabulous one with unlimited sandwiches and scones and tea/coffee/juice and a plate of French fancies and pastries and a glass of champagne and strawberries and cream for £28

English breakfast (veggie ) an cream teas are my fave treats.

Get yourself to the Willow Tea Rooms, they've been doing high since before it was shabby chic and retro.