To think Afternoon Tea is over hyped?

[brasty]

I can enjoy an Afternoon Tea, but I think it is over hyped. It is after all sandwiches, cakes and scones.These can taste lovely, but is boring compared to a beautifully made meal.
AIBU?

I've never been for afternoon tea

I'm not fussed about them.

If i'm going to go all out with calories I'd much rather go for pizza or a lovely big rich curry.

Just feels like a waste of a pig out to me.

For me, it brings back memories.

In the 70's (Low income Liverpool), you'd have a meal every night (and in school), very little snacking. Money for sweets on a Friday.

On Sunday, a roast and then there'd be sandwiches and cake. Either at a friends or my Nans, my Mum didn't cook.

It was a relaxed day, with no pressure to come in from playing out, to eat.

It's got to be properly made, nice cakes, though.

Now people can afford cake everyday, it's lost something, I suppose.

I don't drink tea and I don't like cake. The whole thing doesn't appeal, lol. I'm happy to go and get a sandwich and a cold drink though.

YABU in general but I do think afternoon tea has to be excellent quality. A poor afternoon tea is very, very disappointing. I'm no food snob (I love a Big Mac and Nando's) but if I'm going to have afternoon tea, it has to be fancy and expensive, hence why I don't do it very often.

SarfEast1cated - breakfast at The Savoy is an utter joy, I highly recommend.

You temptress bibbity! I am imagining hollandaise sauce and poached eggs now, my lunch sandwich is going to be very disappointing now...

Will google after lunch I think....

I couldn't stop myself and am now tormented with the thought of this:

Cornish crab on English muffin and fried egg

Never in my wildest dreams did I imaging such a combination!

Best afternoon tea is a high tea after working hard in the garden, with a granny who has laden the table with cucumber sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, slabs of ham, and to follow, huge fresh homemade scones, homemade jam, butter, pie, custard tart, home made jam tarts, and at least three types of home-made cake (fruit cake, Victoria sponge and a coffee and walnut, usually).

It was a shame my granny couldnt stand my mum and we only went there twice a year.

Did go to the Ritz once and a waiter tripped over, tray of little cakes and tea flying everywhere. I mentioned it to my mum who shouted really loudly, "Nonsense, NC! Waiters at the Ritz do NOT trip over!" Felt terrible for the poor man.

Fortnum's is lovely. Must take the kids now they'd appreciate it.

Hit and miss. I paid a fortune once for afternoon tea at a naice hotel on the Lake District. Worth every penny, we took food home we were so stuffed and everything was a taste sensation

I've also had crap afternoon tea. A museum in the North East for a hen do, we got approx half a sausage roll each, half a scone, maybe 3 sandwiches and 2 cups of tea where they accidentally mixed English breakfast with earl grey but we couldn't fix it as they buggered off out the room and never returned. There was 1 teeny dessert per person. We stopped at a service station afterwards. It was £20pp and a rip off

Sarf - you must go! the dining room is fantastic, all mirrors and art deco with an amazing central bar (and the loos are out of this world!) but of course as it's breakfast rather than lunch or dinner, it is very affordable. No booze, see.

I've been twice. Last time I had smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and toast. The lemon to squeeze on the smoked salmon came in a small linen bag tied with a ribbon .

If you choose the full English, you get the full English followed by muffins and pastries! And if you tell them it's your birthday you get a beautiful hand made chocolate from their chocolate shop.

I think the problem is that too many places see it as an easy way to make a decent profit. I have had several sub-par, expensive versions - the Chesterfield in Mayfair and Abode in Manchester spring to mind.

Betty's Tearoom does an amazing one though, as does the Lowry Hotel.

I think it can be nice, but I also see what you mean. It's not THAT exciting.

That said, alot depends on what is included and the quality as other pps have said.

Also depends if you like tea, sandwiches and cakes of any description, or if you just prefer other foods.

I LOVE afternoon tea. Especially at the Ritz! I prefer one with plenty of sandwiches and not an excessive amount of cake. And an impressive choice of proper leaf tea. at fussy eaterspeople saying that afternoon tea is overrated and then mentioning that they don't like bread, egg, cheese, ham or tea!

Sandwiches often trigger off my ibs so I end up bloated and in pain after a couple of sandwiches and I don't really like cake. Afternoon tea is a bit wasted on me.

I love brunch though.

Can never get excited about sandwiches! Although I agree and do prefer them to the cake aspect.

I do think it's more about catching up with friends than the food though.

I find the best way to do it is to have afternoon tea after a hotel stay, you have a big buffet breakfast in the morning and then are still too full up for lunch, so you have afternoon tea late. So you have 2 meals that you can really enjoy and are well timed. Any leftover cake becomes supper if you need it

That's the only way I will have afternoon tea because otherwise it just messes my meals around, I'm hungry at lunch time but they don't start serving until too late, and I can't have an early lunch and go for evening meal because they stop serving too early. I think they would be more popular if more places served them from 11.30 and people could view it as lunch.

Just finished reading this The Little Teashop of Lost and Found

As a big Trisha Ashley fan and a lover of afternoon tea I found it the perfect combination

I've had posh ones, which were all lovely and delightful.

But the best one, was a spur of the moment trip with my mum and seeing M&S were doing afternoon tea. Only downside no bubbles.

Not very expensive but was delicious and just lovely doing something just me and my mum. I agree with some others it's the person or people you go with that make it special

And who doesn't like miniature cakes

YABU! Afternoon tea is the best meal for chilling out! I usually go to the Delaunay because it's handy, but as long as they serve tiny, perfect sandwiches (NOT cut-up baguettes), proper warm scones, and a wide array of elaborate little cakes, and give free refills on the food and tea/coffee, any place will do.

Proper afternoon tea IS a beautifully-made meal, and it's the perfect way to indulge yourself for a couple of hours in a low-stress environment.

Like another poster, I would prefer a nice pub lunch and a pint. Or breakfast out.

I'm going to a wedding in June and the food is to be an afternoon tea.

Keeping my fingers crossed that it's a good one.

NO no no no no, I don't mind going for an afternoon tea but afternoon tea weddings are not okay! it's shorthand for "we're serving nothing but sandwiches all day". Have some sausage rolls in your car - trust me on this!