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?

We are just all different and are all built differently. Nobody should be made feel ashamed or stupid or be made fun of because of how they function and like to function.

And that’s absolutely fine. Perfectly normal. A mate of mine loves food but can only eat small amounts. Not an issue.

What would be an issue is if she had a couple of sandwiches then took it upon herself to make comment about what I was eating, along the lines of “Gosh, I don’t know how you eat all that Granny, I’d be so stuffed I’d be sick! I bet you won’t need to eat until tomorrow. We have lost sight of what a normal meal is, haven’t we?”

It's not the consumed amount that’s being lampooned on this thread (generally), it’s those who feel they have the right to judge others for having the occasional blow out. I do really rather feel sorry for them.

Yes this! I'm exactly the same yet get attacked on here for competitive undereating, it's ridiculous and immature.

I had an issue at work some time ago where a colleague kept announcing to the room "no wonder she is so small, she never eats" "We never see her eating " "Why dont you eat anything?"
Like a fool I defended myself a couple of times, I over explained myself and my eating habits for fear of lookin like an "competitive under eater"!!!🤦‍♀️
(I have a sporty job and accidentally fell into the habit intermittent fasting 20 years ago, just through not being able to function at work when full and uncomfortable/sluggish)

The comments in front of others got too much for me.. I approached the colleague who honestly didn't see the problem(coincidentally, or not, colleague has gotten Into trouble for taking unauthorised breaks to eat and nap after lunch because she felt full and sleepy 🤨) I asked her would she be ok with someone announcing to the room "look at her, she never stops eating, no wonder she is the size she is" and she said that would make her feel bad and agreed that would be wrong!! But she was just pointing out an observation about me....

What wouldbe an issue is if she had a couple of sandwiches then took it upon herself to make comment about whatIwas eating, along the lines of “Gosh, I don’t know how you eat all that Granny, I’d be so stuffed I’d be sick! I bet you won’t need to eat until tomorrow. We have lost sight of what a normal meal is, haven’t we?”

Absolutely..completely agree. Nobody should pass comment on anyones personal habits. But it seems to be more acceptable to make comments about smaller people or those who are seen to be eating less.

For example I've heard over the years things like, "Look at you skinny cow, skinny mini, look at the little size of you " etc and nobody bats an eyelid.. its just said in passing.
If I said to a bigger person at work or in a social group " Look at you fat cow, tubby grubby, the sheer size of you"
I'd be fucking annihilated!!!!

Nobody should feel it's ok to pass comments on another persons body.

My colleague once described a chocolate truffle (a tiny one) as "very rich, too rich for her, I couldn't manage a full one" and was fucking about cutting it in half

My manager "it's a chocolate truffle. What did you expect?" (as he ate two at once)

Surely if they are full sized cakes someone is doing afternoon tea very right indeed! 😉

Hard to generalise OP! I am a size 20, greedy, and love sandwiches and cake, especially cake, so I love afternoon tea! However, I have not always finished it - just depends on the place. I have brought leftovers home a lot.

Betty's - eat all of it. Small sandwiches, small scones, dainty cakes.

Local tearooms (Sheffield) - usually bring the cake home. Big sandwiches (and often extras like sausage rolls), huuuuge scones and a big slice of a layer cake. Some places it's 2 slices each. Delicious but not v dainty and I'm full before the cake.

There are usually options for more savoury ones too - which DH chooses.

I actually don't know many people who like afternoon tea, and if we go to a tearoom they have a meal or one piece of cake. It's not really an issue.

Dead easily.
Have a very small breakfast, no lunch, so you are sufficiently hungry.
Eat the afternoon tea food .
Have a cup of tea.
Go back to finish the scone and cake after a break.

😂😂😂

Yes because I'm fat

Puts me in mind of a friend of mine who says 'I can never eat a whole McDonald's cheeseburger,it's just TOO much'. 😳

I can see off an entire afternoon tea with no trouble, but I wouldn't have lunch or dinner that day. On the rare occasion I have been bested by one, they've been happy to give a takeaway box.

We love afternoon tea - we got married in a chocolate cafe with an afternoon tea so have one every anniversary.

The portions really aren’t that big - this is one we had last year at The Langham in Sydney.

Due to food allergies we had a separate cake stand each, and the scones were wrapped up in the tea towel on the bottom plate.

*have dinner in the evening 😆

I haven't done it much but I treat it as the whole day's food, especially if you take some of it home.

You mean the Ampersand?
Don't worry about it when we went my son ate bugger all because it was too overwhelming and the vast majority came back in a box

@MaitlandGirl now that I could probably cope with!

@Yerroblemom1923 it was so good, that’s about the size of the afternoon teas we’ve had here (Australia)

On the way back from the West Country a few years ago we stopped off in a little town and had a 'Savoury Cream Tea' . . . two cheese scones with cream cheese and sweet chilli jam. It was lovely. Just the right amount

A long time ago, when my DN was a student in Plymouth, I visited her for a weekend. We went to an antiques centre and there was a cafe serving Chocolate Cream Teas. What's not to like, we thought! 😂We were given a chocolate chip scone with clotted cream (it was massive), a slice of chocolate gateau and a mug of hot chocolate with cream, marshmallows and a chocolate flake. Now I really like chocolate but this completely defeated me and I would never, ever choose this type of afternoon tea again!

I can eat almost any number of the little sandwiches. You can keep the cakes, though.

I went to one in London a few years ago where it was sweet shop themed. Not only did we have a decent amount at the table plus our doggy bag to go home, but as an extra you get to fill a bag of pic n mix sweets as you left.

The obesity problem is not down to people having afternoon tea once in a blue moon. Of course it's a "fancy way to justify wild over-indulgence". Nothing at all is wrong with wild over-indulgence every now and then, it doesn't need justification anyway. It is supposed to be a treat, like attending a banquet or a wedding feast or a fancy dinner out, or having a multiple course tasting menu with paired wine. It's not meant to be something people have regularly and I would guess most people have it once in a while.

If you don't enjoy it, don't do it, no-one is forcing you, but don't put the kibosh on other people's fun or start threads about how awful it is that women could possibly enjoy spending the afternoon eating lots of cake and drinking champagne, or boggle at how possibly someone could eat so many carbs at once.

And gullible! I get very worried about the alleged performance undereaters when there's a strong wind or they walk over a grate. Keep safe.

This roughly is what I shared with my mum at The Savoy for her 80th a few years ago (not the smoked salmon which I think is part of high tea). Plus delicate sandwiches. Definitely several small cakes and a scone each and a very extensive choice of tea. We took our time and perhaps struggled slightly after the scones but had no problem finishing the lot. Then we stayed a bit longer and had cocktails in the bar.

Another 'Dainty' eater who wonders who these strange people are, the ones that 'hoover' up loads of grub. These are the worst people to eat out with, picking at their food.
Most afternoon teas are small sandwiches (no crust), small cakes and a couple of medium scones. I just have a small cereal in the morning and after the Tea, I have a small meal in the evening. Or large, depending how my body can Hoover up.

I want to go to afternoon tea with these dainty eaters. I will eat their leftovers quite happily.