Afternoon Tea nostalgia

[Backtothebestbits]

This is a bit of a trip down memory lane, having just read the Rip off afternoon tea thread in AIBU. It got me thinking about my childhood, (late 70s, early 80s) where a couple of times a month on a Sunday, my DM would go all out and make afternoon tea. This was served on the best china and the tea would be made in a teapot with real tea leaves.

The sandwiches were served on a stand and usually a combination of cucumber and tinned salmon, egg and mayo, chicken, beef or ham from the earlier lunch time roast with mustard or horseradish or that awful Shipman’s paste and I even remember tongue being served too! These were cut into dainty finger size, crusts off and of course only real butter (Country Life) was used.

My DM was a huge Delia fan and was forever baking, so there would be a choice of homemade meringues dipped in chocolate with double cream, butterfly cakes, Victoria sandwich and because us kids were mad on them, some Mr Kipling fondant fancies.

Its not something I ever replicated with my own family and it’s only now that I look back and think wow, where did my DM find the time and motivation to make all of that and work full time too, but I guess it’s what her DM did and she just carried it on. It was a real treat and something we looked forward to. Does anybody else do afternoon tea or had similar in their childhood?

My DGM sometimes did Yorkshire High Tea which was delicious. I remember her coleslaw which was incredibly finely shredded. And thickly buttered white scones with glacé cherries. Yum.

My mum could not have made an afternoon tea if her life depended on it. 😂 I don’t recall her ever making a roast for that matter. After my grandmother died (she was an amazing cook), it was takeaways or I cooked for myself.

But I make afternoon tea for my own dc every so often. Salmon/cream cheese and cucumber/cream cheese sandwiches, scones with cream and jam, and yes, we have the French fancies (because they also say afternoon tea to me so are a must have). I don’t do anything fancier than that usually unless I’m buying it in, but it’s an excuse to get the teapot out.

My DD made afternoon tea for Mother’s Day once, when she was about 17. She didn’t realise how much work was involved, she baked mini Victoria sponges and mini chocolate orange tea cakes. I had to stop her trying to make scones as well. That was the first and last time she offered!

I do this reasonably regularly but only for occasions like birthdays etc. It is very time consuming but the freezer is your best friend, I prepare a lot of stuff ahead and freeze and then it's mainly an assembly job on the day with a bit of finishing of some things that can't be done in advance like the sandwiches. I have a lot of display plates collected (too many!) so presentation is important too.

My mother never did this, she barely cooked at all and her only baking was an occasional coffee cake with the fork wiggles in the icing but our big treat was miwadi orange and usa biscuits while watching a disney film on a Sunday.

That’s lovely that you do this and good idea regarding the freezing, although I would never be that on it and prepared! 😄

I remember the coffee cake too, DM’s always had walnuts on the top and I was always so disappointed because as a child I hated it!

God that sounds delicious but yes it is a huge amount of work. My DM loved cooking and baking, for her it was a real pleasure. I certainly don’t share her passion, although I liked eating the end result!

My Dad would make lovely scones with the lemonade recipe (before it became a thing)

That made me laugh! Lovely to see though that you do an afternoon tea and it sounds amazing and lovely memories for the DC

Although my DM was a good cook, she never really got me involved or taught me anything and the kitchen was strictly off limits when she was cooking.

When I had my DC my cooking skills were pretty basic to say the least, in fact it’s a bit of a standing joke between them to this day! In fairness though, it did improve over the years with practice and I did religiously serve up Sunday roast, regardless of how dry or burnt or soggy the veg was was AND to my horror looking back, made my poor dc sit there and eat it 😄

I haven’t heard of this? Off to google!