Afternoon Tea Week
August 11, 2025-August 17, 2025 -
UK, UK
Afternoon Tea Week was established to help secure a tradition that has graced British afternoons since the 1840’s. In those days, dinner often wasn’t served until 8pm. Since a full lunch wasn’t actually a thing, what was a hungry person to do in the hours of the afternoon? Create a new mini-meal in the middle of the day of course!
Even though it is called “tea”, there is far more than just a beverage being served in the afternoon! Traditionally this light meal contains tiny finger sandwiches, as well as scones with jam and clotted cream. Plus, this time is also likely to reveal sweet dainties such as cakes and pastries to help lift the spirits, bolster energy, and see people through the rest of the day.
After a while, what started out as a simple afternoon meal grew into a social event, especially for those who spent their lives in the upper echelons of the day’s society. This became even more prominent once Queen Victoria herself took part in this tradition. At that point the concept of the ‘tea reception’ was born. This type of event included lavish and fancy afternoon repasts that could host anywhere from a close collection of friends to a couple hundred of society’s most important faces.
As the name suggests, drinking hot tea was a very important part of this meal, which was a tradition started by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford. She often found herself feeling weary or worn down in the middle of the day, and a pot of tea with a snack just seemed to be the best way to take care of it. She soon invited friends to join her for walks in the field, and thus began the tradition that would eventually turn into Afternoon Tea.
11 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
Afternoon Tea Week
12 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
Afternoon Tea Week
13 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
Afternoon Tea Week
14 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
Afternoon Tea Week
15 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
Afternoon Tea Week
16 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
Afternoon Tea Week
17 Aug 25
00:00 - 23:59
Afternoon Tea Week
