Afternoon tea

Afternoon tea is an instiution and, done well, is a delightful way to spend a couple of hours. The Angel Hotel in Abergavenny provides an ideal example of a classic afternoon tea. The best selection of cakes I have ever seen and tasted. Ideal for my particular taste - small examples and a varied selection. The lemon meringues and banoffee pies were a special delight.

Drawing on the example of the Angel I like to serve afternoon tea on a variety of bone china. I have a selection of cups and saucers and side plates acquired over the years and augmented by bequests. When such items of crockery were out of favour I admit to using fine bone china saucers as plant holders, particularly beneath my fledgling courgette plants in the dining room window. Now retrieved and well washed they have been reunited with their cups to provide an eclectic tea service.

I have six or seven designs of cup and saucer and prefer to use a selection - maybe 3 or 4 of the same design as a maximum. 2 sets of plates - 6 Wedgwood and an intriguing hexagaonal shape and 5 Royal Albert. If numbers exceed 11  a few waifs and strays add to the pile. For teapots I use the everyday rose sprigged china pot for breakfast tea and a tall Royal Albert teapot for Earl Grey. The younger daughter has more sophisticated taste in tea so that would be available but I try not to go too over the top.

I do not possess a tiered cake stand - and that would be a hint to anyone reading who may be in the category who would make a note of that, and use my 3 cake stands and a variety of small plates for the sandwiches and cakes.

Laying the table is important. A clean linen table cloth - I prefer cream as it is the only one I have which is large enough. A variety of linen napkins. Flowers as a centre piece. Small white roses work well.

I make only open sandwiches - a slice from a small homemade loaf making 4 small bites. Smoked salmon, obviously, egg mayonnaise, a crab pate  or fresh crab mixed with a seafood sauce and chilli, a decent ham and, in season, goats's cheese with a quarter fig drizzled with honey.

I like small slices of cake - lemon drizzle,apple, chocolate, courgette loaf, a selection of cupcakes with fancy icing, chocolate brownies. I also like to serve a bowl of fruit - maybe some strawberries or some sliced figs. Scones should be warm and served with butter (unsalted) thick cream and jam. I once took the brownies out too early and, instead of slicing them, scooped them out and served them in small glass bowls with some creme fraiche and raspberries.
Tea must be served fresh and at regular intervals. Milk and lemon available .It is surprising how many cups of tea can be consumed whilst nibbling delicious morsels.