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For many of us, afternoon tea brings to mind someone who taught us that life’s simple pleasures are worth celebrating. For me, it was my grandmother.
My earliest memories of afternoon tea are of the two of us dressing up for a day in the city, catching the train and playing ladies over a traditional afternoon tea in the beautiful Mural Hall at Myer. We would always walk through the Royal Arcade after arriving in the CBD, and if we happened to be there on the hour, we would pause to watch Gog and Magog come to life as they struck their hourly chimes.
Looking back, I think those afternoons were less about the tea itself and more about the sense of occasion. The dressing up, the train ride, the beautiful surroundings, the feeling that an ordinary day could be made a little more special through ritual.
Perhaps that is why I associate those memories with the books I loved as a child, particularly Eloise by Kay Thompson and Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. I can’t quite explain the connection, except that they all seemed to belong to the same world in my imagination: a world of grand buildings, beautiful rooms, good manners and small adventures.
The Mural Hall, like the hotels and streets in those stories, felt like a place where everyday life could become something a little more memorable.
Gog and Magog have marked the hours at Gaunt’s Clock in Melbourne’s Royal Arcade since 1892, their hourly chimes still heard throughout the arcade today. Image credit: KHellon
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The origins of afternoon tea are most often attributed to Anna Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, around 1840. A prominent figure in Victorian society, she was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Victoria.
As the story goes, the Duchess found herself suffering from what she described as a “sinking feeling” in the late afternoon. At the time, the rhythm of the day was beginning to change. Increasing urbanisation, industrialisation and the introduction of gas lighting meant that dinner was being served fashionably later, particularly among the upper classes. What had once followed the natural pattern of daylight was evolving into a more extended social evening, leaving a long stretch between breakfast and the evening meal. Luncheon, as we know it today, was not yet an established part of the day for many. Her solution was wonderfully simple: a pot of tea accompanied by a few light morsels to eat. Frankly, it still sounds like an excellent idea.
What began as a private ritual soon became a social one. While staying at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, the seat of the Duke of Rutland, the Duchess invited her friends to join her for tea and light refreshments.
The Duchess of Bedford did not create the tradition of drinking tea, but she helped transform it into a social ritual, creating a new occasion for gathering, conversation and connection. Before long, afternoon tea had become a cherished tradition among London society, offering not only refreshment but an opportunity to gather, converse and enjoy one another’s company.
Like so many enduring traditions, afternoon tea began with something quite ordinary: a practical solution that evolved into a ritual. More than 180 years later, it continues to offer us exactly the same thing: a reason to pause, gather around the table and make time for one another.
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Of course, the story of afternoon tea is also the story of tea itself. It has a fascinating history of its own. Originating in China, tea travelled along ancient trade routes before making its way to Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries through Portuguese and Dutch traders. Initially considered a rare and expensive luxury, tea became increasingly fashionable in Britain during the 17th century, helped in part by Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II, whose fondness for tea helped popularise the drink at court.
Over time, tea became associated not only with refinement, but with hospitality, conversation, a little gossip, and the pleasure of gathering together. By the time of the Duchess of Bedford in the 1840s, tea had become more widely accessible, but it still carried an air of ceremony and occasion.
During the Victorian era, tea drinking became deeply woven into the fabric of the English home. While enjoyed across all levels of society, the experience of tea varied greatly depending on the objects that surrounded it. For those who could afford it, the afternoon tea table became an expression of personal taste and refinement, with fine porcelain cups and saucers, decorative teapots, silver tea services and beautifully crafted linens all forming part of the ritual.
These objects were never simply decorative or functional. The teapot, the delicate porcelain cup and the act of pouring and sharing tea transformed a simple drink into an occasion.
A beautiful vessel, whether a porcelain cup or a delicate glass, invites us to engage with a moment differently. It encourages us to slow down, to notice, and to appreciate the ritual itself.
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Creating afternoon tea at home does not need to be complicated. At its heart, it is simply about a few thoughtful elements gathered together:
° Your favourite porcelain cup and saucer
° A pot of good tea
° Delicate finger sandwiches
° Freshly baked scones, served with jam and clotted cream
° Something sweet
° Perhaps a little something effervescent, if the occasion calls for it
Traditional finger sandwiches might include:
° Cucumber with a little butter and fresh herbs
° Smoked salmon with cream cheese and dill
° Egg mayonnaise with a sprinkle of cress
° Coronation chicken
° Ham with mustard or a little chutney
° Watercress with butter
Served in neat, bite-size portions with the crusts removed, they are designed to be eaten gracefully by hand. These small details are what transform simple ingredients into part of the ritual.
The beauty of afternoon tea is not found in perfection, but in the gesture. A table set with care, something delicious to share, and the time to sit together are what transform a simple afternoon into a moment worth remembering.
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PS. I’ve shared a glimpse of my own afternoon tea experience over on Instagram, where I continue to share moments of beauty, ritual and the simple pleasures of everyday life. You’re very welcome to join me there.
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