Afternoon Tea

[timeforanewnametoday]

I am catering an afternoon tea for the extended family.
How many slices of bread should I allow per person? All adults.
I am planning to serve with sausage rolls mini ones, some sort of crips and coleslaw.
Also does anyone know the best square shaped bread to buy and how many slices in each loaf.
Cakes I will do a choice of three, vic sponge, some type of traybake and scones.
Have I missed anything, strawberries maybe?

They are too similar. Both contain jam for instance and often people put cream in a Victoria sponge as well.

A better mix could be scones with jam & cream, but a chocolate sponge cake for instance, or a black forest gateau.

Allow 2-3 slices of bread per person. For square bread, one loaf has 20-24 slices. Serve sausage rolls, crisps, coleslaw, cakes (Victoria sponge, traybake, scones), and strawberries.

Most Afternoon teas I have been to there has been four finger sandwiches which is two slices of bread. I am more of a savory person so would like a maybe two more finger sandwiches so that would be three slices of bread. I probably would make the sandwiches myself and keep it simple say ham and mustard, cucumber, smoked salmon and cream cheese, and chicken in curry mayo. However most supermarkets here are not great with their sandwiches. Just use spatula to butter bread and they can be made quite quicky.

Coleslaw I would avoid, as normally the savory part of the afternoon tea is eaten with your fingers. Crisps are not something I have ever had at an afternoon tea.

Personally I would prefer a lemon drizzle cake to a Victoria Sponge or else mini pastry cakes filled with lemon curd (using premade cases) maybe a small brownie as the traybake.

If there are loads of people - would like plain scones AND cheese scones. Clotted cream and probably strawberry jam for the plain ones.

M&S sandwich platters can be quite good.

I would get M & S sandwich platters, mini quiches and sausage rolls plus crisps if you want them, but forget the coleslaw as it’s messy to eat.
3-4 quarters each should be enough for most people if your having other bits.
Plus scones, strawberry jam and cream, lemon drizzle, chocolate brownie bites and maybe fruit tarts or carrot cake always goes down well.
I’m hungry now!!

I agree victoria sponge is too similar to scones/jam/cream

I would have lemon drizzle cake or chocolate cake or a rich fruit cake for contrast.

I’d do a Victoria sponge with curd, orange or lemon

scones and clotted cream 1 scone per person

3 triangles of sandwiches per person

mini sausage rolls - easy to pick up a bag at Iceland and pop in the oven just before they arrive

miniature chocolate cakes of some type

battenburg cake ( had that at fortnum and mason afternoon tea, it was on the side board)

real tea

a glass of fizz

orange juice

elderflower

https://www.janespatisserie.com/2017/08/28/mini-victoria-sponge-cakes/

you can make mini Victoria sponge cakes in bun cases, cut in half pop in curd, drizzle with white chocolate and lemon zest

More savouries needed there imo

Are you wanting to make cakes OP or buy them? I dont usually like shop bought cakes as I make my own but for a party I think you cant go wrong with M+S and they do mini victoria sponges which are so nice.

I will be baking the cakes, think the consensus is lemon drizzle.
brownies is also a great idea. I like the Battenberg but would need to buy that. Maybe one bought cake would be ok

You can’t serve coleslaw without giving people a fork, so if it’s a must put it in one of the sandwiches. Cheese and coleslaw or ham and coleslaw are both fine.

I just thought coleslaw was a way of getting some veg into the meal but may bin that idea. Afternoon tea is a treat so aiming for balance is not the top priority.

Chicken, coleslaw and watercress is gorgeous but might be messy if you want dinky little things. Unless you can put them in tiny baps.

I want afternoon tea now. Damn you Mumsnet.

I've been having a bit of a thing about afternoon tea recently - got a book from the library and fantasizing about entertaining when we move into our new house. I made a Battenberg the other week - quite a lot of faff, so just buy it if you can. I'd kill for a pork pie right now.

M&S - the Afternoon Tea sandwich fingers look nice!

Made-to-Order Sandwich Platters at M&S

I adore afternoon tea! If there were a club meeting monthly, trying out all the afternoon teas in the area-I’d join!

I wouldn’t worry about vegetables content, maybe some parsley as a garnish on the sausage rolls or cress in the egg and cress sandwiches

when are you making this afternoon tea for?

Afternoon tea was a success, no coleslaw but egg, ham, cheese onion and chicken sandwiches. I did put out some posh crisp and warm sausage rolls.
We then had lemon drizzle cake, scones and brownies (I couldn’t bring myself to buy these but I do make nice ones).
I do love having a reason to bake so was all good.
Oh and we had tea, calamine for me.
edited for spelling

Now there’s a tea I’m itching to try!

🤣🤣🤣
Glad it went well op.