How To Celebrate Afternoon Tea Week 2024 With DukesHill

Afternoon Tea Week takes place annually to honour the quintessentially British tradition of afternoon tea. This year, Afternoon Tea Week falls between 12th - 18th of August 2024, providing us all with a time to indulge in the cathartic ritual of punctuating the day with good company, dainty treats and the finest tea. More than a quick snack, afternoon tea is equally about the performance and ceremony as the well-considered food and drink.

Afternoon Tea Week encourages everyone to slow down and enjoy this time-honoured tradition. As Champions of the Artisan, our carefully chosen product lines have plenty of options for the finest afternoon tea, allowing you to replicate decadent hotel afternoon tea service from your home.

afternoon tea hamper

The Tradition of Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea dates back to the early 19th century, when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, suggested a light meal to bridge the gap between lunch and dinner. This delightful custom quickly gained popularity among the British upper class, becoming a fashionable social event. Today, it remains a cherished pastime, celebrated by people around the world.

How to Create the Perfect Afternoon Tea at Home

Afternoon Tea Week is the perfect occasion to put your culinary and presentation skills to the test and create the perfect afternoon tea at home. Follow our simple tips for a beautiful spread of classic British treats!

1. Set the scene

Consider the relaxing atmosphere! Set your table with a linen tablecloth, lay out your favourite crockery, elegant napkins and a teapot. Fresh flowers in glass votives look charming and won’t interfere with the main attraction of afternoon tea. This is the time to use silverware and family china - if not now then when! 

Complete the experience with relaxing music. Afternoon tea was invented during the Romantic period, so consider playing Debussy for his impressionist soundscapes of harmonies and textures or perhaps set the scene with Mendelssohn’s songs without words. 

2. Get the presentation right

Classically, afternoon tea is served on a tiered stand. The traditional approach is to place sandwiches on the bottom tier, scones in the middle and patisserie on top. A variety of levels to serve food looks appealing. If you don’t have a tiered stand, you could use a cake stand or your favourite platter on an upturned bowl.

3. Pick your tea

Afternoon tea is not complete without your favourite tea and we suggest offering a selection of teas to cater for different preferences. Darjeeling, Earl Grey and English Breakfast are all lovely served with a jug of milk and slices of lemon on the side. Consider herbal infusions such as freshly picked mint leaves, lemon verbena or sage, or floral teas such as freshly picked rose petals, lavender, or chamomile. You could even make your own signature tea blend by filling a teapot with English breakfast and Earl Grey tea leaves, fresh mint leaves, peppercorns, fresh ginger slices and allspice berries. It’s an aromatic twist on black tea and is fantastic served with milk.

Or, add sparkle to your celebrations and serve guests Baron de Beaupré Champagne or sparkling tea to add effervescence to the occasion. Follow with a pot of tea for a pick-me-up.

4. Create the perfect finger sandwiches

Afternoon Tea Week is a great excuse to try some new savoury combinations - and what better to attempt this with than the classic finger sandwich! There are all kinds of fillings you could go for as part of your celebrations this year, including Smoked Sliced Oak Salmon with cream cheese on wholemeal bread, or DukesHill Sliced Wiltshire Ham with Proper Piccalilli on white bread. Alternatively, you could try something entirely new like Smoked Eel with braised red cabbage and horseradish sauce! The choice is yours, but try and come up with a combination of finger sandwiches that offers balance for all tastes and preferences. 

To help you put together your fingers sandwiches with ease, we have put together the following preparation tips:

  1. Choose fresh, good quality, machine-sliced bread (for even slices) that complements your fillings. Soft white for cucumber, wholewheat for smoked salmon and ham, and rye for smoked meats.
  2. Don’t overfill the sandwiches. They need to remain intact when picked up.
  3. Always spread butter before the filling, as this acts as a waterproof coating and prevents the bread from going soggy.
  4. Always season the fillings. Cucumber needs salt (the Dorchester adds a little lemon verbena to their cucumber sandwiches too), and salmon is enhanced with a small crack of pepper.
  5. Once filled, place the second slice on top and press down lightly so the finger sandwiches hold their shape when picked up. 
  6. Trim the crusts off and cut evenly into finger slices using a serrated knife. 
  7. Arrange the sandwiches filling side up on a serving platter. Decorate with edible flowers or herbs for garnish.
  8. Avoid preparing sandwiches in advance - serve them as freshly as you can!

5. Add bite-sized savoury treats

Don’t forget to look beyond the traditional finger sandwiches for a well-rounded Afternoon Tea Week celebration. Savoury suggestions include:

6. Serve your afternoon tea scones

Fluffy cloud-like handmade scones are a must for afternoon tea. Devon and Cornwall disagree who invented them and how to serve them - so you choose! As you add these sweet classics to your afternoon tea presentation, consider the following tips:

  1. Serve your scones warm. If they’re not freshly made, simply reheat them gently in the oven until warm. 
  2. Traditionally, scones should be split by pulling them apart with your hands - not using a knife. At this point it would be criminal not to deeply inhale the comforting aroma! You eat the scone in two halves - not as a filled sandwich!
  3. If serving the Cornish way, dollop jam onto the scone first. They say this acts as a barrier to prevent the cream from melting from the warm scone.
  4. Crown with a golden-crusted scoop of Cornish clotted cream. Did you know that clotted cream from Cornwall has a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). This award is given to guarantee authentic clotted cream of the highest quality. It means it has been made with rich and creamy Cornish milk, made to the traditional cooking method.

Create the Perfect Afternoon Tea with DukesHill

To celebrate Afternoon Tea Week in style, we offer a selection of hampers and products that cater to all tastes. Every last bite has been made from scratch by our artisan producers of chefs and bakers. Whether you’re looking for traditional scones, artisanal cakes, cheeses or ham, we’ve got everything you need to create a memorable afternoon tea experience.

The Afternoon Tea Hamper

The Afternoon Tea Hamper is the perfect choice for those who want a comprehensive selection of tea-time essentials. This hamper includes a variety of treats for the classic afternoon tea experience, including Scones, Cornish Clotted Cream, Strawberry Preserve and English Breakfast Tea!

Handmade Patisserie Selection

The Handmade Patisserie Selection offers a luxurious array of artisanal pastries made by fellow Royal Warrant holder, Montmartre Patisserie. They have been crafting sensational patisserie for over 25 years and products are handmade on-site by a dedicated team of chefs. The contents of this selection is made using carefully selected ingredients, including fresh dairy from The Cotswolds, Belgian chocolate, and pure fruit purees from some of the best fruit farms across the UK & Europe. You’ll receive Victoria Sponge with a chocolate crown, chocolate and coffee opera gateaux, passionfruit and citrus cheesecake.

Sweet Celebration Hamper

For a summery afternoon tea, the Sweet Celebration Hamper with Complimentary Pimm's is an excellent choice. This hamper combines traditional sweet treats with a bottle of Pimm's for true British flair.

We’d love to see your Afternoon Tea Week celebrations and homemade afternoon teas too! Tag us in your photos on Instagram - @dukeshill

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