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 don’t think anyone actually knows 🤷🏼‍♀️. It’s one of the mysteries of life, even Google gives mixed answers.

I would like to know before I die, maybe when I retire I’ll try to get to the bottom of it and become one of those people who dedicate their lives to solving mysteries and crimes. I will visit cafes and bakeries and interview people and find a research team.

I just discovered that McDonald’s do a hot cross bun pie whilst googling for answers so all was not wasted 😂.

Me. In a lovely place.

Afternoon tea is overrated, imo!

Yes!

DS works in a very exclusive boutique hotel, where the food would definitely rate Michelin stars if they were bothered, but they don't because they are full anyway. Michelin is a marketing tactic and a score keeping device.

There are 250 Hungry Horse pubs apparently.

Most places I have been too don't offer more stuff. I think that's rare now.

I have also done afternoon tea on cruises too. Either in final dining room with the stands. Or just help yourself st buffet.

I loved the buffet version! Pick your own sarnie and I skipped the score mostly and had cakes. Think I did it every day for those weeks!

I went with my male partner, and he enjoyed it too.

@Choux, I don't think I have ever seen a Hungry Horse so possibly they don't trade in the rural SW UK.

Sometimes I do afternoon tea for dinner and somehow everyone thinks it’s a massive treat. I don’t make my own tiny cakes though. If I have to take a sandwich to work because I don’t have enough leftover lasagne or whatever then I feel hard done by but if I make finger sandwiches and put them on a nice plate then I think they are the best thing ever. There are some shite afternoon teas in hotels and I keep getting adverts on my Facebook for ones that come through the post. If I’m having a scone I don’t want it to have been in a Yodel depot for 3 days then kicked over a gate - I want it 15 minutes after its come out of the oven.

Internalised misogyny perhaps?

Last time I went, I went with 2 blokes…I don’t know if that blows the theory. Meeting a friend who is hard of hearing and doesn’t drink, so going somewhere quiet for tea was rather lovely. It was £80 a head, you could take anything home, and it was in a lovely hotel.

but mostly, no, I’m not that fussed about the idea….rather go out for dinner.

Patriarchal structure places vlaue on women for their youth and looks, so societal beauty standards put pressure on women to conform. Just maybe?

I like some of the deals they have on the Greene King app, which includes Hungry Horse. Forget what it was classed as, but it was a salmon dish for about £10, and was really nice. Although I just looked on the app and it seems to have changed since I last went. It now says 2 pub classics for £11.99 from Monday to Friday.

There are three in Devon and seven in Somerset but their locations are more a high turnover in town pub than a quaint country pub.

That's gorgeous. Is it for two people because it's a banquet?

I think it’s a people who don’t drink thing - i’m late 40s. I don’t particularly like tea or cake! I’d rather go out for dinner and drinks.

we’ve taken my MIL, grandma and my nieces on special occasions. And a pregnant friend.

I posted this further down the thread but I missed your comment.
This place is great for savoury afternoon tea if you ever visit the lakes.

Women ARE an easier target though. You wouldn't catch a man paying £50 for afternoon tea. You also don't find them paying:

£30 for quick hair trim

£30 to get their nails coloured in

£300 for a handbag

£50 for a pot of face cream

Add you own to this

Are you suggesting there aren't equally stereotypical things which men are 'targeted' to spend unnecessarily large amounts of money on? Cars, bikes, gadgets, trainers?

People are an easy target for things that they like. And if the thing you like is worth that amount of money to you, then it's not a rip-off.

@SusieLawson my parents had a phase of enjoying going to their local one midweek for the deals and we went together a few times. It is incredibly good value.

Not so fussed about afternoon tea, but why are women's clothes so poorly made? Men clothes seem to last forever.

If you buy supermarket men's clothes they are sturdy and last forever, but the women's are shit and fall apart easily.

Dh meets up with his mates in a cafe and they get tea and something with it but no, can’t imagine them even contemplating afternoon tea!! It’s lovely for the sitting around but to be honest I’d be happier with tea and a cupcake with friends after having tea and a ham sandwich at home😅

Exactly!! This proves the point, not the opposite. Society pressures women about their looks then charges them loads for beauty treatments. Society markets tea and dainty cakes and sandwiches on pretty crockery as feminine and then charges loads for it. Women can choose whether or not to partake but it's still a symptom of sexist system.

Soukmyfalafel
Not so fussed about afternoon tea, but why are women's clothes so poorly made? Men clothes seem to last forever.
I think their socks are so much more hard wearing but then they cost loads more (I can get mine for two euro, the equivalent socks for him are minimum five

Where I work ( stately home type place) is considering doing afternoon teas marketed more for men. Basically means more savoury finger food, no elaborate patisserie ( fruit cake and cheese board instead) and a choice of whisk(e)y and rum- based drinks, or red wine, or beer. Women would be actively encouraged to partake, obviously, but the whole stereotype thing does appeal to some.

I may live to regret this, but I think it could fly.