The perfect afternoon tea consists of...?

[SilentBoob]

Tea
Scones
Cake
Dainty sandwiches
Fancies...?

What about Pimms? Or Punch? Or biscuits? Or something savoury?

What do you think?

No children.

Macaroons please.

Champagne

Potted meat and tinned salmon sandwiches and battenburg. Arranged on a cake stand.

High tea with my Yorkshire Grandma, so , so long ago.

No children, ha! Chance would be a fine thing.

Macaroons, good idea.

Champagne, maybe.

No to potted meat and tinned salmon, though I'm sure your gran made it lovely.

Savoury
Dainty sandwiches/mini open bagel halves. Crisps. Raw veg, such as: cherry tomatoes, cucumber fingers, celery fingers. A quiche is also nice on the table sliced.

Sweet
Scones, strawberry jam, and clotted cream are a must! A selection of sliced cakes are also nice, such as: coffee and walnut, Victoria sponge, chocolate, carrot.

Oh... and keep it simple. Buy everything ready-made!

Sainsbury's Tomato and Broccoli quiche is delicious. I also recommend Sainsbury's ready made Taste the difference cakes, such as their coffee cake.

By keeping everything simple, it is enjoyable for the guests and the host :)

Savoury can only be sandwiches. Always cucumber, but smoked salmon, egg mayonnaise and ham all acceptable. Crusts must be cut off and can be triangles but the poshest afternoon teas have thin rectangles, about 1 inch high the length of one width of bread.

Cakes can be more experimental but must include scones.

Tea and champagne both acceptable. Ideally both on offer.

no crudites for afternoon tea. no, just NO!
The idea is about indulgence and taste.

Scones/Champagne perfectly fine. katie has it spot on.

What Katie said.
Selection of teas. Earl Grey and ordinary at least.
No cruditees for goodness sake, afternoon tea is a proper grown up meal, not lunch with my children (collective age of 4).
Maybe some cheese scones.

What Katie said.
Selection of teas. Earl Grey and ordinary at least.
No cruditees for goodness sake, afternoon tea is a proper grown up meal, not lunch with my children (collective age of 4).
Maybe some cheese scones.

And the sandwiches must be made with proper butter.

Gentleman's Relish on toast! Hmmmm

And coffee for those of us who don't drink the devils nob drips.

I just did an afternoon tea at church for 100.

i had -

triangle sandwiches - cucumber and apple, ham with mustard butter, smoked salmon and cream cheese

finger sandwiches - egg mayo with rocket, cheese and chutney, hummus and grated carrot

All crustless (made with that crustaway bread), you get 4 triangles or 3 fingers from 2 slices of the bread and made with real butter.

Sweet - scones with strawberry jam and cream, pancakes with honey butter, selection of sliced cakes - plum cake, banana loaf, date and walnut cake, madeira cake, cinnamon loaf, cup cakes and mini Victoria sponges

2 types of tea and coffee - no booze because we aren't allowed in our church.

Potted meat is lovely, smoked salmon is nicer than tinned.

It's just proper afternoon tea always makes me a bit too many memories of long gone GPs and great Aunts and Uncles.
And the child I can't ever be again.
DH offers scones, jam and Cornish clotted cream to lighten the mood.

Agree with cucumber sandwiches but they have to be on white bread with the seeds scraped out; also smoked salmon (on brown bread only please), ham and mustard, egg mayo and cress, and very rare roast beef with horseradish, also on brown. Proper butter only please.