Afternoon tea is a rip off largely aimed at ripping women off

[Coddy]

Somebody suggested this to me and I’ve never thought of it that way.

You don’t get very men going for afternoon tea do you? The Mark up on afternoon tea is absolutely enormous aside from staffing and cost of the building and stuff- it must be money for old rope for the businesses concerned. Specially the ones that charge over 50 quid ahead.

Are we being conned by the whole afternoon tea debacle?

(yes cake is nice I get that)

I had afternoon tea at a very posh hotel in Bath not too long ago and it was awful. The sandwiches were stale and I suspect they had been made the day before. The cream that came with the scones was disgusting, it tasted like custard. And the waiting staff looked most put out when we asked for an extra side table because there wasn’t enough room on the table we were sat at for everything to go on. We’d been several times over the years and prior to this it had been fine but their standards have gone downhill and we won’t be returning.

The Plaza, New York- on holiday, getting married that afternoon- got a bit carried away! Just kept repeating to myself it was a one off.

Of you don't like it, dont go! Have you nothing better to occupy your mind ...

really really depends on where you go.

most decent afternoon teas come with unlimited refills of all food and drinks

Many, many things in this world are feminist issues. Afternoon tea is not one of them.

Also I bloody love afternoon tea, but it's so rare to find somewhere that will do a vegan one!

When I worked somewhere that offered afternoon tea, the food prep that went it to it was actually quite significant. Making small portions of a variety of things is much more difficult and costly than one big cake.

Afternoon tea is usually given as a gift though? So your spending fifty quid to send someone else for expensive tea and cake

Someone bought it for me once I'm gluten intolerant and caffeine sensitive they did not provide "alternatives" I tried to return it to the gift giver who thought it would be fantastic if I just TRIED IT I refused to make myself ill she went on Facebook calling me fuvking rude and ungrateful because of this no-one would take the damm voucher off my hands im not sure what I did with it in the end but I didn't use it

Bonus was they never bought my ungrateful arse a gift again

Sometimes we go for afternoon tea on a Sunday cos I can’t be arsed doing a roast, a big fry up for breakfast after a lie in, then afternoon tea later on. We pay about £15 pp.

Had a cream tea and Claridges and at The Ritz in the past for special occasions - the cakes (petit fours) were incredible in taste and presentation, the scones and clotted cream were melt in the mouth, the setting and the soloist (pianist at Claridge’s and cellist at The Ritz) were magical. Both times it was a lovely, lush experience with family and a baby (1st birthday). Worth every penny. MiL was in 7th Heaven.

‘Cream teas’ in cafés or local hotels? Total rip off for mass produced rubbish scones and a department store vibe. Bloody awful.

I wouldn't go not interested. Cakes, scones all fattening anyway.

£30 plus per person is daylight robbery.

if this is the case then £20 for an afternoon in a man free space sounds alright.

It's a massive rip-off but so enjoyable every once in a while!

i am rolling my eyes, and i haven't read further than this. But - that is not how cafés / restaurants work.

When I lived in the Scottish borders & worked in a hotel there, afternoon teas -sandwiches/cakes/ scones with tea & coffee were mainly a Sunday thing for locals, but during the Summer season it would be an every day thing for tourists passing through. They did High teas as well where there was a choice of things like gammon, scampi, haddock & chips or bacon sausage, eggs & grilled tomato all with bread & butter and then a pot of tea, cakes and scones for afterwards. Both were really good value back then i seem to remember, but prices are so sky high now I wouldn't bother.

There is a huge mark up, I agree but I love afternoon tea but typically get mine via groupon or wowcher. Even Marco Ps restaurant in Bham has deals on so I'm good with it.

Ref it being a rip off aimed at woman, think about how ripped off mainly men get by exotic dancers to balance it out... Point is, if there's a market, a product will fill the gap or create the market...

I voted with my feet nearly 20 years ago on that. There are still plenty of nice places doing tea and scones for £10, just don't encourage the crazy prices.

Ref it being a rip off aimed at woman, think about how ripped off mainly men get by exotic dancers to balance it out

I genuinely don't know if this is a joke. It is a joke, right? 😁

I been for many afternoon teas. I fo think the price is shocking, and sometimesthe quality too. A friend said we need to find somewhere that makes their own cakes, order 4 cakes to share and a couple of sandwiches too. Might try that nxt time

I'm not British and the three thing I love the most from this country are spam, back bacon and little nibbles and scones with a cup of coffee in a delicate porcelain tea cup. I can marry you if you serve the sugar cubes instead of the other tipes of sugar.
I agree they are expensive but I simply love it.

I've never felt the need for food between 13.00 lunch & 20.00 dinner. Nor a pot of tea or coffee.
A glass or 2 of something after 18.00 is a different matter.

Absolutely, I'm still smarting at the last one I went to that my companions thought was amazing and great value for money! £25 for a couple of bland sandwiches (the only meat was chicken on the teeniest bagel imaginable, think the size of a 2p)
. Loads of cakes but you couldn't possibly eat more than 1 or 2, everyone was excited to get to take them home. Bonkers, if I wanted a box of cakes for home I'd buy one, what I wanted was a tasty filling lunch. Maybe I'm doing it wrong and should be having lunch before I go? But then how could you possibly want sandwiches and cakes 2 hours later??

Oh a high tea! Now we are talking, a proper meal then cake. Not enough places offering them now imo.

We are being massively conned now. I remember my graduation day in 1996 and my dad taking me to the Waldorf, it was £14 pp and it was amazing. Faultless. Wanting to repeat the experience, I took my dc to Rosewood as it was close to work. It was awful - foreigners posing as game-keepers in game-keeper's outfits (!!!!) in Holborn, greeting guests. Foreigners serving tea, and dried out cucumber sandwiches. And fifty quid per head.

Foreigners serving tea?