Serving Tea - British Etiquette:

National Tea Day is observed in the UK on April 21st each year and is used to celebrate the drinking of tea and to raise awareness for its cultural significance around the world.

Our guide to everything there is to know about traditional afternoon tea decorum. Avoid causing unutterable offence and how to properly serve the great British drink - tea.

Table Manners:

It’s customary for the person doing the hosting to pour the tea out, and for the teapot to be left on the table with the spout facing the person who poured.

When sitting at the table, the proper manner to drink tea is to raise the cup, leaving the saucer on the table. Avoid slurping or guzzling the tea, instead place the cup onto the saucer between sips.

A few more mishaps to avoid are;

-Dunking one’s biscuits in tea! This is seen as impolite, so best to avoid!

-Do not use tea to wash down your food! Tea is to be sipped and enjoyed.

-Do not allow your gaze to shift from the teacup when sipping tea

Setting the Cake Stand:

Food served during afternoon tea should be presented on a tiered cake stand. The top tier is used to hold scones, as during the 1700’s when tea parties became popular, the top tier was the only one that would fit a warming dome over - everybody knows scones are best consumed when warm!

The middle tier holds small sandwiches. The sandwiches should maintain a consistent appearance, to increase appeal. To properly prepare afternoon tea sandwiches, follow the steps below:

Spread the butter on both slices of bread.
Cover one side with the filling and place the other slice of bread butter-side down to form a sandwich.
Carefully remove the crusts and slice into three equal finger sandwiches.

Finally, the bottom tier holds sweet-treats, such as pastries and desserts.

Avoid cupcakes - opt for the traditional favourites!

Napkin Placement:

The truly formal way to place a napkin is to the left of the plate, with the folded edge to the left and the open edge to the right. This rule applies to whatever shape the napkin is.

A napkin should never be left on a chair. If excusing yourself from the table, then the napkin should be set back to the left of the plate.

At the end of dining, neatly fold the napkin with a crease and place it back on the left of the plate. This will indicate to the host that you wish to be invited back.

Avoid causing a stir

Under no circumstances should you stir tea in a circular motion! The preferred way to stir is to place the spoon at a 12 o’clock position in the cup and softly fold the liquid back and forth 2-3 times to the 6 o’clock position, and never ever leave the tea spoon in the cup.

When your tea spoon isn’t being used, pop it back on the saucer, to the right of the cup.

The question of whether milk should be poured before or after the tea is still debated today. Milk was added to delicate, soft porcelain first in order to prevent the cups from cracking, but once tougher porcelain began being made, it made it unnecessary. So today it’s really down to your own personal preference.

Tea Conversations:

Never allow the topics to escalate to a point where they become a brawl. When you realise that the atmosphere has changed, switch the topic to something different.

If the others are not willing to do that, tell them that you prefer discussing something that is not bothersome.

If you are the host, having a list of discussion topics is always a good idea. That way, you will avoid lulls in conversations. Some of the things to discuss include tea varieties, history of tea, the weather and British royalty. And if you are a guest, listen to what the host has to say.

So there you have it; a few morsels of etiquette know-how to get you through a formal tea party.

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Serving Tea the British Way!