Anna The seventh Duchess of Bedford

The History of Afternoon Tea

If you google Afternoon tea you will be introduced to Anna the seventh Duchess of Bedford. It is her that we give credit to as the creator of this wonderful tradition. It is stated that in the year 1840 these afternoon tea rituals were becoming popular.

The Afternoon tea ceremony has a rich and colourful history that is just fascinating. Afternoon tea is a tradition a part of English history. For some Afternoon Tea has become the new happy Hour.

The Duchess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. Due to increasing urbanisation and the rise in industrialisation (including the spread of gas lighting in England), the evening meal was becoming later and later. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

Some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread. It is said that the Earl of Sandwich enjoyed playing cards. At that time snacks of meat, cheese and such were eaten with fingers. The Earl did not like that the playing cards were being soiled from his greasy fingers. A chat with the kitchen resulted in the meat surrounded by bread thus the bread soaked the grease and the Earl’s fingers were clean. Another version states that in 1762, John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, invented the meal that changed dining forever. As the story goes, he was playing cards and did not want to leave the gaming table to eat. He asked for a serving of roast beef to be placed between two slices of bread so he could eat with his hands.

Either way the sandwich was born and about one hundred years later became a part of the afternoon tea ritual. By the 1880s, afternoon tea had become a high fashion event served in the drawing room with silver teapots, fine linens, elegant teacups, and world-renowned teas.

As Afternoon Tea hosted in homes became Tea Parties, soon enough Tea Rooms and Tea Gardens quickly spread throughout England. 

It's the seventh Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russell, who we have to thank for the invention of afternoon tea, Ann was a close friend of Queen Victoria and a prominent figure within London society. It was quite an honour to be invited to tea with Anna.

Today Afternoon Tea is a meal composed of sandwiches (usually cut delicately into 'fingers'), scones with clotted cream and jam, sweet pastries and cakes. Interestingly, scones were not a common feature of early Afternoon Tea and were only introduced in the twentieth century.

Afternoon Tea was initially developed as a private social event for ladies who climbed the echelons of society. It was only when Queen Victoria engaged in the Afternoon Tea ritual, as you remember she and the duchess were good friends, that it became a formal occasion on a larger scale, known as 'tea receptions'.

These receptions could have as many as two hundred guests with an open 'at home' invitation to visit between 4pm and 7pm, during which they could come and go as they pleased; this was the beginning of the Afternoon Tea as we know it. 200 people through my home between 4 and 7 pm. I can’t imagine…

In Britain today Afternoon Tea is usually enjoyed as an occasional indulgence or to celebrate a special event, such as a birthday, a pre-wedding party, or baby shower with a group of friends.

For me Afternoon Tea is an opportunity to sit with family, friends. Chatting while we together enjoy the three course culinary offering. Afternoon tea is a ritual that allows connection, communication. A breathing space in the day. Slowing down from life’s busy schedule.

Our lives, if we let it, can lead to disconnect. I see teatime, afternoon tea as an opportunity to reconnect. Screen free, after you have taken photos, posting and tagging on social media of course.

While vacationing in Europe a number of years ago, I witnessed numerous times, multi generations seated together at a long table in the restaurant engaged in lively boisterous conversation. Not a screen to be found.

Closer to home, while on a vacation to my husband’s family on the East coast, I watched the mingle of family. Aunts and uncle so close to their nieces and nephews that I could not tell who were actually from the same household. This was because they had regular set times to meet. Whether it was a dinner the third Thursday of every month. Or coffee on the second Tuesday of every month. They regularly got together, chatting, sharing, connecting. This for me was such a wonderful experience. I wished I could have had this with my aunts, uncles, grand parents, cousins.

This is my *Why* for the tearoom. Why do I want to open a tearoom serving teatime as Anna the 7th duchess of Bedford created? I want family and friends to gather, chat hold conversations, connect and make memories. Whether you are celebrating a special occasion, honouring a significant accomplishment or just catching up. Gathering and sharing with afternoon tea can create better connections, relationships, community.

As I continue to pursue a “real space” for the tearoom to call home I do hope that you will enjoy teatime with friends, family, neighbours, coworkers. Hold conversations, talk, share get to know each other. Build community, Create Lasting Memories.

And when I do open the tearoom, I think the current Duchess of Bedford should join us for the Grand Opening event don’t you?

Happy Teatime Tuesday to you!
Joanne