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?

I've never been tempted by afternoon tea as it seems very stodgy.

Stodge. Yes, that's the word I was looking for. I didn't want to say carby/sugary because I'm no way a stereotypical MN carb fearing protein evangelist but yes, it just seems like a lot of stodge that weirdly, is also quite unsatisfying.

I have been eyeing up afternoon tea here for when we're on holiday soon, you have to scroll down to see the pic.

https://boathotel.co.uk/dine/

5 little finger sandwiches which are probably the equivalent of 2 slices of bread and fillings. A normal sized scone, a small little fruit tart thing, three little cakes which you can clearly see by the size of the glass next to them are tiny. There may be a second scone lurking behind the jam, hard to see.

That is not a huge amount of food by anyone's standards.

OOOh, that looks so lovely! And that photo, for me, represents some of what an afternoon tea is . . . . daintily prepared tea-time treats, beautifully presented, old-fashioned tea cups etc. It's not just the food (although I do love it) . . . it's the whole experience of the setting, how the table is laid, how the food is presented, having a nice time with the people you're sharing it with and taking your time over it in a relaxed way

Even if they were normal sized portions (and they usually aren't) having a treat like this once or even twice a year really isn't going to cause a problem!

You're attitude is as if people were indulging in this regularly - but they aren't (the costs would be out of reach for most people).

It's like Christmas Dinner - a massive blowout but not more than once a year! The way you're going on its like someone is having the full works Xmas do every month!

I'm 67. I've NEVER had one of these teas. I'm not keen on cake. I don't have a sweet tooth - but I do have a sense of proportion. Maybe get one for yourself.

I’ve been for afternoon teas where I can eat it all and others where I need to get a box to take home the remainder.
Some are very generous, some you basically get a sandwich, a scone and 2 tiny cakes .

Like any other meal in a restaurant, no one holds a gun to your head until you clean your plate. Presumably it’s no different to any other meal out. You might not choose it if it’s the sort of food you don’t like much. You might go anyway if it’s someone else’s occasion and you want to join them. You can eat a little bit or all of it. So long as you don’t sit there making comments about what everyone else is eating, it doesn’t matter. (Although I totally agree that no one should be commenting if you don’t eat much either.)

I'm going to stick my neck out here and say that on the rare occasion I've provided an afternoon tea at home or helped with a garden party tea to raise money for charity I've provided a LOT more food than I've ever been given in a tea shop. And, disappointingly for me, I've never been left with much food at the end of it . . . Perhaps it's because men & children have attended these occasions whereas when I go to a tea shop it's only ever with other ladies

Well, clearly afternoon teas are not for you.

Some of us have been in training our whole lives for a challenge such as this.

Yes and unsatisfying is a good word too.
I'm not a carb fearing person either but if I'm hungry, I want to eat proper food with protein and veg. If I fancy a treat, it'll be one scone or one generous slice of cake so then afternoon tea seems a waste of money.

I don’t find them at all unsatisfying personally.

Of course it's less satisfying than a normal balanced meal. But it's permissible to have unsatisfying food from time to time. When we go to the seaside I often have a couple of hot doughnuts which contain quite a lot of calories but may as well be fresh air as far as my stomach is concerned.

But I don't say "Oh no, I can't have them as they are so unsatisfying and a UPF!" Likewise I will probably be having a few baguettes, croissants, patisserie and quite a lot of wine in France this summer which are a total fucking diet disaster normally. They don't form part of my usual diet- well, a very small amount of wine does, but not the gallons that I could potentially guzzle quite easily.

No-one is suggesting that afternoon tea should be part of your daily eating pattern.

Exactly. Have a Ploughman's Lunch then!

Full English Breakfast
Ploughman's Lunch
Afternoon Tea
Champagne Supper

Sorted! [Skips off into the sunset draped in my Union flag]

You obviously went to a crappy cheap afternoon tea in that case..

@shearwater2 I am now craving a proper ploughman's lunch! Not had one in years.

😋

And why shouldn't people eat excessively occasionally?

They aren't going to put on weight or damage their health if it's occasional.

I love food and eat well. I also bloody love a good occasional blow out. I'm still a size 10, after all these years of eating like that.

I suggest you go somewhere decent to try it. the scones are tiny and airy. pastries also very light.
delicate sandwiches
nothing stodgy about it

@Bjorkdidit a lot of places do a savoury afternoon tea these days
and a proper afternoon tea always consists of (unlimited) warm savoury items such as quiche, sandwiches and pastries
I don't think I have ever been anywhere that tea is not unlimited!
in the good places you don't have to ask, they keep harassing you with the tea menu/trays of sandwiches and cake for you to have more

Cakes and sarnies are small. I feel just nicely full after it.

Good lord, that's my ideal day's food. Especially if the champagne supper includes steak.

I'm absolutely going to do this one day #lifegoals

I thought 'oh goodie...another competitive under eating thread'!! haha

Thanks for the tactics! I am going in a couple of weeks for a posh afternoon tea and can't wait!! I can always eat it all but with your strategic planning may be able to see my mam's leftovers off too