How teatime began
Little did Anna, Duchess of Bedford, realize that when she succumbed to a late afternoon “sinking feeling” one day in 1840 and asked for tea, bread, butter and cake to be sent to her private rooms at her stately home, Woburn Abbey, she was starting a new craze. Breakfast at the time was served early and dinner late. Both were lavish affairs but little attention was given to the light midday meal known as luncheon (often eaten buffet style with no servants in attendance), so by 4 o’clock it was not surprising that Anna was more than a little hungry.
Fortified by her tasty meal, she soon decided to share the experience with her lady friends by sending out invitations for “Tea and a walk in the fields”. On returning to London for the Season, Anna continued her afternoon ritual, taking tea in the drawing room with invited friends and, as she was lady-in-waiting to and life-long friend of Queen Victoria, afternoon tea became fashionable.
Afternoon tea was now official, served between 4 and 5 o’clock in the drawing room on low tables in front of the sofa, and followed by a promenade in Hyde Park. What to wear? Well, the tea gown of course, designed in silk and chiffon to be as light and delicate as the cakes themselves, and edged with lace and embroidery.
The great china factories such as Spode, Minton and Wedgwood expanded their service repertoire to include cake plates, tiered cake stands, bread and butter plates, lavish teapots, cream jugs and more. Bone china was preferred: white, translucent and hand-painted to match the new fashions, it also kept the tea hotter for longer.
New recipes of glamorous cakes were invented and soon, afternoon tea became an orgy of pleasures, the table heavy with the weight of extravagant cakes, lavish tea services and ornate silver pots. Amongst all this excess, etiquette demanded that the conversation be kept light and lady-like. Whole books were dedicated to instructing the hostess how to behave, thereby firmly establishing the ritual of afternoon tea in polite society.
From drawing room to tea room
The new craze spread quickly. The Aerated Bread Company, famous for their so-called hygienic yeast-free bread, became pioneers when in 1864 a London-based manageress had the idea of serving tea along with their baked goods. The new tearoom was a success, as an avalanche of respectable ladies took advantage of being able to eat out without risking their reputations.
By the early 20th century grand hotels, with a long tradition of serving afternoon tea, had devised the Tea Dance: an orchestra would play light music and ladies would waltz away the late afternoon with their partners. It became the perfect opportunity to meet members of the opposite sex…
Afternoon Tea Tradition
