Let’s talk afternoon tea!

Who can resist an afternoon tea? The perfect treat to share with parents, siblings and friends. But where on earth did the idea start?

Well, apparently it began in 1840 with the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna, who found herself feeling peckish mid-afternoon, with a long wait until dinner. She requested a tray of bread and butter, tea, and cake, and began inviting friends to join her. The bread and butter morphed into finger sandwiches, and the cakes got ever more dainty and delicious.

Eventually, the Duchess’s afternoon tea became popularised as a social event. Ladies of leisure would gather in their drawing rooms at around 4pm, bedecked in their gowns, gloves and hats. It had become a fashionable fad.

But the afternoon tea outlived the fad, with the middle classes joining in too, and the introduction of music – for the wealthy this could be a whole orchestra! Many hotels held tea dances, which went down a storm.

Eventually afternoon tea became a less frequent event, and these days it’s seen as something to enjoy for a special occasion.

The usual fare for a classic British afternoon tea is generally along the lines of:

• Cucumber sandwiches, egg sandwiches, salmon sandwiches, crustless and sliced into fingers
• Savoury min tarts or pastries
• Scones, jam and cream (cream first, mind)
• A variety of dainty cakes (the daintier the better)
• Tea served in porcelain cups (pinkies in the air, please)

But of course, tastes have changed and most establishments now offer a much wider choice. For non-traditionalists, there a plenty of contemporary afternoon teas to enjoy.

At Aquarius Bar, we offer a lovely afternoon tea with a mix of traditional and contemporary fare. So you’ll enjoy cucumber sandwiches, but ours come with lemon cream cheese. Free range egg mayonnaise is featured, but this comes in a mini roll. And you may just find a shortbread with a cheeky cocktail flavour profile!

As always, we use plenty of locally sourced ingredients: Cornish cream with your scones, Devon ham, Devonshire crisps to name just a few.

Just £25 per person to include teas and coffees.

We don’t promise to curtsey (well, you’re not the Duchess of Bedford), but we can promise the warmest of welcomes.

Contact us to book your afternoon tea!