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 know loads of straight men who like tea, cake, sandwiches etc. They really enjoy going out for it. Granted my DH is not one of them, so I tend to go as something nice to do with my mum, but maybe you just don't know men who like nice stuff?

You don’t get very men going for afternoon tea do you?

Could they be....at work? 🤔🤣

I don’t get afternoon tea and would rather a pint down the pub any day. However if ‘ladies’ are choosing to spend their money on this shit then surely that’s their choice. There must be demand for it for prices to be so high.

Seriously, though, I didn't know this was a thing. I've been for champagne breakfasts and bottomless brunches but when I want afternoon tea I just go to a tearoom and order tea and a scone with clotted cream etc. That never costs £30.

Just make afternoon tea and invite friends around! Bake some cakes and scones. Have a lovely afternoon with friends. Perhaps raise some money for charity.

Of course it is their choice. But then should not complain about 'bieng conned'- is my point.

ooops 'being'

Yes I think that probably is being a misery. Up to you of course if you never want to eat out anywhere nice or inventive. I don't agree it's being "conned".

Someone else complained about tasting menus. The amount of effort that a good kitchen puts into a tasting menu is phenomenal. I'm a good cook but there's no way I could replicate what a restaurant like say The Peat Inn does. And that's before factoring in the cost of labour and buying the ingredients.

Same with afternoon tea. I'm a good baker. I could replicate some, but not all cakes and patisserie but again the cost in time and ingredients needs to be factored in.

There's a nasty, sneery tone to many posts on here. There's the scolding of women choosing how to spend their money, the sneering that any men who like afternoon tea are "Chris Martin" types. (I assume that's meant to be an insult but why escapes me)

And the completely baffling and bonkers one that any man enjoying afternoon tea must be gay. Obviously being gay is neither here nor there but there's a whiff of homophobia there- a whiff of "real men don't do that". Can't remember which posters went down that route but it's an unpleasant take.

Who's complaining? The OP wasn't actually complaining.

She started a frankly nasty thread to sneer at other women and gay men.

You don't get what I am saying at all. People can choose to buy those very expensive goods, but then they shouldn't say they are being conned, as in the OP.

It's a choice, not 'being conned', just a choice. You do, or you don't.

I wasn’t responding to you? Also yes I agree that’s what I’m saying, it’s their choice.

but when I want afternoon tea I just go to a tearoom and order tea and a scone with clotted cream etc. That never costs £30.

But that’s a cream tea. Not an Afternoon tea at all.

I don't like pubs. I don't like pints. Up until now I've never felt the need to tell anyone on MN that, far less start a thread complaining about the price of something I don't buy in a venue I don't go to.

Oh and I don't need to describe pints as "shit" just because I don't buy them. The average price of a pint in the city I live in is over £5- maybe that's a "con" as well.

The point is, the OP wasn't complaining. Most posters weren't complaining either.

The OP started a rather nasty thread for no purpose other than to sneer at other people's choices.

Oh my God.
It's Cod ( For old Mners)

You are all taking this far too seriously. Chris Martin DGAF!

Do you have the slightest idea of the time and costs involved in replicating a good afternoon tea at home?

I know! As if.

This! Some real holier than thou posts on this thread

I must admit I did do an advanced search. The OP hasn't posted since 2017. Not sure what might have prompted this.

Why the aggression? Many of us do not need to 'replicate' very fancy stuff, but will be very happy sharing simple, quality, made with love cake and scones at home or in decent but simple teashop. It truly does not cost much at all.

My choice every time.

Loads of sneery posts in typical MN fashion here. I love afternoon tea in a posh London hotel. The one at the Mandarin Oriental costs £80 per person. I dislike stinky old pubs and beer. My money, my choice.

I consider myself a feminist but I’m not burning my bra over this one.

She name changes all the time, I do exactly the same.

Yes. I can get that at the M and S cafe and enjoy that.

Afternoon tea is usually in a nice room, also with sandwiches and special pastries/cakes you would not normally eat. It is a different kind of ‘event’.

Same.

I don’t drink so this is my kind of treat. Over a lifetime I have spent less probably on posh teas than my friends have on alcohol!

I also don’t tell my friends they are being ‘conned’ for spending £££ on cocktails and expensive wines. Because that’s how they derive pleasure. Just like I do from my posh sandwiches and gorgeous pastries!

At 53, I am fully aware of what I am doing when I book for afternoon tea!

Perhaps raise some money for charity.

Seriously 😂 The sanctimony is strong.