Welcome to winter. The solstice meant the last of the hanukkah candles, which are beautiful to look at when it’s so dark by 4 pm. In any case, we’re here. Winter.
Last week we had flooding. Two days of torrential rain. The village roads flooded in areas they haven’t in the past. Friday it was sunny. Into town for a haircut and almost final holiday things. Last bits to pick up this week but that’s a small number and easy.
Made potato latkes and Turkish mükvar on Saturday night. Former (below) a great success, latter not so much (too wet to fry well). And after grating three huge potatoes and three large courgettes (zucchini) on a box grater (I own a large stand mixer but not a food processor) I was certainly aware of my lack of upper body strength.
I’ve been in decidedly winter fragrances. Pulled out Killian Dark Lord the other day. Always such a surprise: a ‘clean’ leather but deep and … ya know. Yesterday, it was vintage Caron Bellodgia which is deeper, sweeter, and earthier than last time I wore it. Bottle aging? Really peppery and pretty, but also with that dark, dirty knickers thing going on. Wonder what it means that I wore that on the solstice …
Today, a break from holiday-ish stuff. I know we’re very close but I thought we could use a diversion.
So, Afternoon Tea … as opposed to High Tea, Cream Tea, etc.
This is the one I tell all visitors to the UK to do during their wanderings. ‘Oh’, they say, ‘I’m doing the Tate Modern and then Borough Market and then Harrods and then etc, etc’. I say gently, ‘It would be good to eat, ya know. Have a break and go do an Afternoon Tea. Try Fortnums, or one of the fancy hotels’.
traditional afternoon tea
And they go ‘Oh, yeah, food…’
Afternoon Tea. It’s the one with a three-tiered cake caddy. Bottom is sandwiches; middle is scones, clotted cream and jam (remember: it’s cream first, then jam unless you’re from Cornwall); top is cakes. And tea, you can choose your tea. Some places to champagne included.
When Portia was in London a ways ago and we met up for a mega sniffathon, he treated me to an Afternoon Tea. Lord, that day was so much fun. The Tea was lovely too.
One of the blogger/vloggers I follow, a Japanese woman whose sense of visuals is just wonderful, recently posted about a Tea at the London Ritz hotel. Boy, did that look lovely. If you’re interested her posts on YouTube are called Grown vlog.
My current ‘I really really want to do this’ is at the Prince Akatoki hotel in London, which is Japanese themed. They currently have a special Japanese leaning Xmas Tea which just looks so great. A bit of sushi, Japanese twists on regular British tea sandwiches, special cakes (spicy tuna maki, smoked salmon with yuzu cream, matcha [sort of ubiquitous] yule log, clementine and sake trifle, miso and butterscotch tart).
So, have you done an Afternoon Tea that was memorable? Do you crave the sandwiches and scones but could give the cakes a miss? What’s your favourite tea to drink (me: current obsession is Hojicha, Japanese green tea that has less caffeine – I’m not supposed to do a lot of caffeine)?
Pics: pexels, mine
I love tea- I think Miss Manners had the best answer as to the difference between regular and High Tea. According to her, high tea is kind of like “high time we had some food in here..”
I’ve had afternoon tea while on several Viking cruises and loved it. I love tea as a daily beverage. If only I could make scones. I adore them, but find them only rarely. Too rarely.
Thank you for the lovely post, Cinnamon. Merry Christmas to all!
Scones are easy to make (mine don’t look terribly pretty or even though). I wonder if you google Mary Berry and scones what you’d get.
Our Christmas breakfast is centered around current scones. Our local bakery makes amazing scones and sell them frozen to bake at home! I’d forgotten how much I love scones with clotted cream……hmmm wonder if we can find that in our grocery store.
Never had currant scones. Sounds pretty though. Oh, clotted cream is joy.
Never did Afternoon Tea or High Tea. It was not on my radar, but it does sound very nice.
It’s such fun as well as tasting very good.
I ADORE those fancy teas! Usually I find one in some luxe hotel when I’m traveling (can’t afford to stay there lol). I’ve done quite a few. The most memorable was meeting a friend in Bangkok at the Mandarin Oriental (I think?). She’s Thai and took care of the arrangements. It was astonishing. I think we chatted for 3 hours and I could have sat there forever.
I am now making a vague list of where I want to have tea in London. Do you recall what you ate in Bangkok? I love when hotels/restaurants do twists on the classical menu.
It was the three-tiered presentation along with some extra plates that showed up; unclear if they were part of the regular tea. The food itself was a fascinating combination of very traditional things like cress sandwiches, things that had an interesting twist, and things that were, I think, purely Thai. Everything was prepared so that it looked gorgeous.
I’ve done afternoon tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia (Canada) which was lovely, as well as afternoon tea at a two cute local tea parlours in Montréal. But mostly I bake my own scones and slather them with Devon double cream and dollops of jam at home.
Victoria BC prides itself on its afternoon teas, and English friends who’ve gone with me find it all delightfully retro. I envy you scone-baking skills!
Eons ago, we did high tea at the Empress. It was lovely!
Did the ones in Montreal have a twist on French cuisine?
In all of my 43 years on this planet, I have never done an afternoon tea let alone a high tea. I don’t think that sitting in Starbucks with a cup of tea counts. Living in a rural area where the closest place that does that is at least 40 minutes away but never have been there. I would love to do at least an afternoon tea.
High Tea is a whole ‘nother animal. Afternoon Tea is the three course thing I’m referring to. If I had no sense at all and a lot of money I’d do it once a week until my brain said no more.
I love afternoon tea, the whole thing: the china and table linens, the delicious food, and the tea. I love green Sencha tea, Jasmine green tea, and Darjeeling the best. Over the years, I’ve given a few bridal and baby showers, and I always chose to do afternoon tea. Going to an afternoon tea in London is on my bucket list. You wouldn’t have to ask me twice!
What a great way to do showers.
I can only do hojicha at this point or a dilute commercial green & mint combo.
There are so many good and varied Teas in London. Sketch is also supposed to be great but very pricey.
I haven’t done Afternoon Tea in ages! Last one was at The Peninsula in Chicago – it was delightful but definitely American
I am more savory than sweet in my preferences and I experienced an olfactory ::record scratch:: of delight at the thought of smoked salmon with yuzu cream!
And Dark Lord – solstice is the perfect time for it!
When I was looking for pics for this I kept getting Tea with croissants rather than scones. Just wrong.
Yup, the Prince Akatoki Tea looks great. One day…
I finally chose TF Scent today. Sigh.
Heya Cinnamon,
So what is High Tea? When we went to Harvey Nichs I thought they called it High Tea?
Anyway, that day was bloody awesome. It’s a big hope that we are in London in 2027. I’m fighting so hard for it, we’ll see.
Dark Lord! It’s on my To Buy list. There’s a decant around here somewhere and now I want to find it.
BELLODGIA! There’s a small horde here. An unused 60ml extrait is the star, it’s evaporated about 1/4 but I’ve still got a little one going. What a fabulous beauty.
Portia xx
High Tea is more of a meal — hot food — than Afternoon.
Here’s hoping. I’m still waiting for my Stolpersteine appt. Once I have that I can plan my 2026 travel.
I wonder if they couldn’t make Bellodgia today. It’s one of those I hope to trip over a bottle of some day.
The most memorable Afternoon Tea I’ve had was during the plague years.
Cannon Hall Farm Cafe was doing takeaway meals including Afternoon Tea. We hadn’t seen our youngest for many months. It was hot, he had recently bought his first home but hadn’t yet moved in & wanted us to see it.
We brought Afternoon Tea from the Farm Shop & picnicked at the very picturesque Country Park near his home. Full blanket, paper plates & cups, thermoses of coffee, tea & fizzy water by the river.
Whilst the food was good, it was the occasion that made it special.
Those types of oddly out of regular time sorts of events are wonderful. Strangely fun and very memorable.