The British tradition of Afternoon Tea was thought to have been introduced in the 1840’s by Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford who was said to have complained of “having that sinking feeling” during the late afternoon. At the time it was usual for people to take only two main meals a day – a large breakfast, and dinner at around 8pm in the evening. The solution for the Duchess was a pot a tea and a light snack of bread and butter or cake, taken privately in her boudoir during the afternoon. Once the Duchess began inviting friends to join her for Afternoon Tea, it became a popular social event amongst the English aristocracy.
Traditionally, the upper classes would serve a ‘low’ or ‘afternoon’ tea served on a lounge or low table between four and five o’clock, whereas the middle and lower classes would have a more substantial ‘high’ tea later in the day, between five and six o’clock, in place of a late dinner. The names are derived from the height of the tables on which the meals are served, high tea being served at the dinner table. In more recent years, the term ‘high tea’ evolved to became a word meaning exquisite afternoon tea.
