Tea Time Etiquette Tips

Tea Time Etiquette Tips

Just like the royalty and upper class did in the original tea parties, it is important for us today to use proper etiquette when attending a formal Tea Time. Dragonfly Delights Tea Room does not enforce these etiquette tips. We do encourage the use of these as well as basic common sense manners. These etiquette tips are most importantly a wonderful confidence boost to know what to do when attending a delightful Tea Time.

A simple place setting for an afternoon Tea Time. Not quite proper but still pretty.

 Here are a few Tea Time etiquette tips to remember:

    After sitting down, put your purse on your lap or behind you against the chair back.

    Take the linen napkin and make sure to place it on your lap. If you must leave the table temporarily, place the napkin on your chair. Never blot or wipe your lipstick with a linen or cloth napkin. Lipstick stains rarely come out in the wash.

    Never, ever use your napkin as a handkerchief. Please excuse yourself from the table and go to the restroom. The head of the table should signal the end of the Tea Time by picking up their napkin. Everyone else will then pick up their napkin by the center and loosely lay to the left of their plate.

a pretty setting, but the fork is not necessary with Tea Time and the knife should be on the plate, never on the table.

    Using the community spoon to scoop the sugar, then your own personal spoon to stir the sugar is placed in your teacup first. If desires a thinly sliced lemon would be added to your teacup. If you like to have milk in your tea, add it after the tea is poured. At one time it was traditional to pour the milk into the cup before the tea. This was done to prevent the glaze on delicate teacups from cracking. We do not have that problem today, so add the milk after the tea so that you can judge how much to use based on the color change. Never use milk and lemon together. Do not add dairy to herbal teas as they will curdle here as well.

    Hold the handle of the teacup using your thumb and your first one or two fingers. There is no need to stick out your pinky; this is an exaggeration of how people sometimes tilt their pinky upwards to balance the cup. Do not loop your fingers through the teacup handle or cradle the side or bottom of the cup with your hands. A guest should look into the teacup when drinking, never over it.

    When stirring your tea, be careful not to clink your spoon against the cup. Gently swish the spoon back and forth without touching the sides of the cup. When through stirring, remove the spoon and place it on the saucer behind the teacup and to the right of the handle. Of course, never take a drink of your tea without removing the spoon first, and please never, ever sip from the spoon.

A pretty teacup with the teaspoon in its place on the saucer.

    Take small, quiet sips of your tea. Do not blow on the tea if it is too hot. When sipping tea, look into thetea cup not over.

    When you are not drinking tea, place the cup on the saucer. If seated at an afternoon tea table, never pick up the saucer. If standing, you may lift the saucer with the cup.

    It is fine to eat most of the foods with your fingers, taking small bites; however, use cutlery when trying to eat messy foods. Scones are a traditional part of proper tea. Some would say to break pieces of the scone with your fingers but it is now permitted to slice the scone with a knife. Since the knife is now used, lay it gently on the side of your plate. Jam or curds is usually placed on the scone and then top off with a dollop of clotted cream. If a community pot of jam and cream is set on the table, use the spoon provided to spoon a small amount of jam or curds onto your plate, as well as some of the clotted cream. Spread the jam, curds, and clotted cream onto your scone using your own personal knife. Never use the serving spoon for this task. Most often at Dragonfly Delights Tea Room each guest receives their own individual portion cup of cream and jam. You may use you own knife to spread these condiments onto your scones. Remember to place you knife back onto the plate, never on the table.

Proper etiquette dictates that phones and purses are not on the table. A Tea Time table is already full, teacups, saucers, teapot, cream and sugar….

    Be sure to take small bites, since attending a tea is a social occasion and you will want to participate in the conversation without always having a full mouth. Chew and swallow completely before taking a drink of tea, since it is hot and is not meant to wash the food down.

 I am always learning, reading about Tea Time. I will add to these little lessons as I find new interesting discoveries. Might you have something to share. I do so enjoy learning.

 Wishing you a most delightful day!

~Joanne