Afternoon Tea - how can anyone eat it all?

[wasntlikethisinthegoodolddays]

I've been looking at things to do next weekend. Looked on Wowcher, Groupon etc. A regular offer is Afternoon Tea for two. Whilst it looks lovely, they regularly feature about 6 sandwich corners each, a few savoury items and FOUR cakes each. I love my food, and I like cake, but there's no way I could eat all of that in one sitting. Can anyone eat four cakes in a row? Are we meant to take a doggy bag?

They always give you a box to take home

Don't have breakfast or lunch and don't plan to eat anything in the evening

The cakes are tiny. I've never had trouble finishing it. Plus scone.

The cakes are tiny.

Take a Tupperware if you're worried. But yes, there do exist people - women, even! who can eat some sandwiches and a few small bits of cake without rupturing themselves.

But enjoy your thread full of phrases like "hoover up", "polish off" and "couldn't possibly manage". It's been at least an hour since we had one.

I’d have no trouble (but would skip the evening meal). But I've never seen an afternoon tea that generous. Usually it’s one round of sandwich (ie 4 corners), a scone,and a small cake.

It's a late lunch essentially.

As @Whyhaveibeencutoutofmamsnot says, don't eat the meal before. Go very hungry. The sandwiches and cakes are usually small as well. Most places let you have a box to take home any bits as well.

The sandwiches and cakes are tiny. Like, hardly a bite each normally. But they will give you a box to take away any leftovers (I find scones filling).

But this is Mumsnet with competitive undereating, so someone will be along to tell you that even drinking a full cup of the tea is too much and one cucumber sandwich should last you a week.

Only 4? That's a mere snack.

Everything is tiny apart from the worst bit (the scones). Is this one of these competitive under eating threads?

They're not full sized cakes, unless you're doing afternoon tea wrong.

You're not expected to finish it that's why they have fancy boxes to take the food home.

Open mouth. Insert sandwich/cake. Close, chew and swallow. Repeat.

HTH

I'm more savoury than sweet in my tastes so I could eat sandwiches until I burst, but I can never manage all the cakes.

Sandwiches are usually finger sandwiches so very small and the cakes are tiny. They always look much bigger in the photos.

The portions are usually tiny. You don’t have to eat it all. You can ask for a doggy bag.

You could just have tea and cake or usual sized lunch.

The wide eyed ‘do people really eat this much’ threads on here are getting very tired.

They won't be massive slabs of cake, they'll be tiny

Even Fortnums give you a going home box. I felt sick after afternoon tea there. So much gateau.

You're forgetting "stuffing", "gobbling" and the mention of the starving 6 foot rugby playing son.

Breakfast, early afternoon tea, dinner or breakfast, early lunch, late afternoon tea. The 'anyone' comment is a bit bonkers tbh. Have you seen what manual labourers eat each day? If we go to Bettys DH has a large main, then an afternoon tea, then some cheese on toast or something to finish. And he is very very lean.

I don’t really like that much cake in one go, but I’ve never been to one where they haven’t offered a box for leftovers.

Aren't they meant to be very small cakes and sandwiches? I haven't had one before but that's what I thought

I had no problem! As others have said, a/ the cakes are tiny and b/ you are replacing a meal, it isn't an extra meal. And I had two scones, four tiny dessert things/cakes, sandwiches and savouries.

When I go I dont have breakfast or lunch (and rarely have dinner). I can normally eat a scone, one of all the cakes and one of all the types of finger smadwiches. They aren't massive remember. We have taken a box back with us before (they are happy for you to do this) but I normally have a couple of teenage boys with me as well and they can literally hoover up several people's afternoon teas (and still expect dinner as soon as we get home). They will have all of theirs, so say 2 scones, 4 cakes, 4 sandwiches, plus eat my second scone and any spare cakes or sandwiches. They always ask for more sandwiches too.

If you let me know wher and when, they will happily come and help you hoover up yours.