When we think of afternoon tea on the veranda, it’s easy to imagine Regency, Edwardian or Victorian eras. In the middle of a summer heatwave, it seems that posh ladies with full-length skirts and hats on their heads are served tea by uniformed maids. Imagine Dame Maggie Smith as Lady Whatnot, fanning her face and complaining about the heat while a servant pulls a trolley with milk, teapots and a multi-tiered sandwich and cake pyramid display.
Tea on the veranda is a thing of the past. No longer do we have Lipton’s Corner Houses where you could get tea, coffee and cake. Independent cafes themselves are under threat by the giant chains like Costa and Starbucks. Although to be fair, these places try to maintain the experience of the tea takers. Tea at 4pm is not as regimented, though traditional organisations such as the National Trust still seem to enjoy it. For your own experience, consider Afternoon tea boxes from Afternoon Tea Box.
We are the real culprits for not having a regular afternoon tea break. Society has changed. Our modern lifestyles have surpassed the culture of the maid who serves tea. We’re too busy to watch the world pass by. We have phones, email, and the internet keeping us occupied. Maybe we haven’t forgotten that much as Afternoon tea boxes are rising in popularity. Recent online polls have sparked a lot of debate and controversy on the subject of what is the best order to put the cream and jam on a scone?
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