Ideas for afternoon tea

[pimmsy]

Hello all,

I'm having a sort of open house on Sunday for my sister (who used to live here but now lives in a different country) before she heads off for six months of fieldwork in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the world.

Although I usually do hot food, but this year my sister sent the invitations out promising "English afternoon tea".

I've never done afternoon tea before and was wondering if Mumsnetters could give me some ideas of what I can make. I was thinking, scones jam and cream, hot crossed buns, an M&S carrot cake, for sandwiches.... but I need more variety and ideas for sandwich fillings other than cucumber.

I'm not in the Uk but do have a small marks and spencers in my neighbourhood.

There will be about 25-35 people.

People will be arriving from 2 pm ish and I think I'll have people till about 10-11pm ish if things follow the same pattern as previous years.

People pop in and out so it's more multiple groups of 6-8 than one large crowd IYSWIM.

I want to make this special for my sister as she's off for a while.

Thankyou!

Definitely scones with jam and cream. Fresh strawberries if you can get them. I'd do several cakes - trad ones like Victoria Sponge or coffee and walnut. You could do sandwiches too - the classic ones are cream cheese with cucumber or coronation chicken, but ham or cheese are also typical.

Thanks millifiori coronation chicken sounds good !

Cucumber sandwhiches - white bread, butter, no crusts
Smoked salmon sandwhiches - brown bread, butter, no crusts

Not hot crossed buns, they are traditionally eaten at Easter, Good Friday specifically. And, even without the cross they are a bit too utilitarian for Afternokn Tea.

Nice little cakes - fairy cakes, French fancies

Scones, jam, clotted cream (fresh from oven!!!!)

Victoria Sponge cake

Tiny patisserie - eclairs, choux buns

Meringues

Personally I wouldn't offer Hot Cross buns, they are best served warm with drippy butter!

I agree about having several types of cake, carrot cake and lemon drizzle are both popular. You could also have some small jam or lemon curd tarts.

Sandwitch fillings could be smoked salmon /salmon pate or liver sausage or perhaps potted shrimps/prawns chopped into a little mayo.

Egg mayo sandwiches
Ham and mustard sandwiches
Vanilla slices
Shortbread
Individual (homemade) jelly pots with raspberries in
Millionaire shortbread
Rocky roads

Sandwich fillings
Cheese and chutney
Smoked salmon and cream cheese
Roast beef and mustard
Egg and cress
Ham and tomato
Tuna and cucumber
Turkey and cranberry
Prawns in Marie rose with lettuce
Chicken tikka with cucumber and raita
Mozzarella, basil and tomato
(I don't mean serve them all!)
Maybe some mini savoury pastries
Homemade sausage rolls
Cheese straws
Palmiers
Mini quiches
Mini cheese scones

Thankyou!

I'll have a read through and let you know what I go with ( there will be no hot crossed buns though on your advice)

Buy the crustless bread, cut into 3 fingers it makes perfect sandwiches for afternoon tea (you get wholemeal and white)

Fillings ;
Smoked salmon and some cream cheese that's had lemon zest and black pepper stirred in

Thinly sliced roast beef with mayo that's had a little horseradish added and rocket leaves

Ham with grain mustard

Brie and cranberry relish

Smoked duck with chutney

Grated cheddar with chutney

Scones - do mini savoury ones as well spread with soft goats cheese and topped with chopped preserved peppers

Can you tell I love afternoon tea 🤗?

Pastrami is a good sanwich filling as it's thin cut, there is no waste with it, and its delicous with some horseradish or pickle and a few rocket leaves.

If you have any vegetarians coming you could try a mushroom pate as a filling.

I agree about having mini home made sausage rolls or perhaps cheese scones.

smoked salmon.egg mayo
also if people are there all day get big dishes so that when the tea is over you can transfer leftover to big sharing plates for people to nibble off.
lso if people will get hungry some longer living ones might be good.like some mini tarts sweet/savoury,quiche etc.
min Yorkshires with slices of beef and horseradish
crudettes slices of baked bread with tomoto mix on it.
mini tortes,slices,cakes.fairy cakes.french fancys.mirangues.

Afternoon tea is a great idea, I love it and have done this myself a few times now. Tray bakes are good if your entertaining for a high number of people things like brownies, lemon drizzle, rocky roads. Victoria sandwich is a must and a fruit loaf cakes are good to.

You can buy already done macaroons from M&S there a nice little touch to. Already made mini meringue with fresh cream and fruit are delicious option, they went down a treat when I did them. I also bought mini battenberg they're cute.

For the savoury option if you want to do something a little different mini bagels are nice with, smoked salmon and cream cheese and also beef and horseradish.

Hope you have a great day!

I'm full on sandwich making and baking! will let you know how it went this evening!

Hello,

They loved it!

We had,

Carrot cake
Victoria sponge
Coffee cake

Scones with jam and clotted cream
Crumpets ( random I know but they loved them)

Fondant fancies

Mini cucumber mint and lime zest sandwiches

Mini coronation chicken sandwiches ( they were wolfed up)

Mini egg and cress sandwiches

Salmon cream cheese and aneth sandwiches

Pastrami and horseradish sandwiches

Brie and cranberry sandwiches

Mini quiches Lorraine

Cocktail sausages

And home made mini jellies ( gin and tonic, whisky and maple syrup and rhum mint and lime )

Thankyou for your ideas

If you want something hot then crumpets or drop scones are a perfectly acceptable afternoon tea item.
The sandwiches must be in thin crust less bread.
The Ritz , Fortnums etc generally serve cucumber ( often with cream cheese as the discs of cucumber tend to slide off butter when you bite into them) , smoked salmon ( on brown bread) , very finely diced egg mayonnaise, watercress sandwiches ( salted butter, very good with rye bread) , tomato ( skinned, sliced thinly with a sharp knife, salt and pepper them ), cheese ( finely grated) and a p,ate of bread and butter is very nice as afternoon tea started with bread and butter as opposed to sandwiches.
Simple cakes are good - Madeira, Victoria sanswiches, Swiss roll, coconut cake or a fruit cake.
Scones are a must - both plain and fruit. Served with clotted / whipped double cream , jam ( strawberry/ raspberry/ black currant or apricot are all acceptable) They are best made on day of eating.
Florentines are easy to make and look attractive and provide something a bit different as do the French style macaroons which are very popular and quite easy to buy ( but a bugger to make)
I do hope you have a fantastic time!
Oh, top tip. Make your sandwiches with crusts and after assembling cut the crusts off. This ensures the butter/ spread/ mayonnaise and filling reaches the edges. And use damp tea towels over sandwiches to keep them from drying out!

Sounds delicious 😋- got a cake craving now!

sounds great pimmsy