A little while ago I had the opportunity to have Afternoon Tea at Fortnum & Mason. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it and my 16 year old daughter took my place to accompany my sister-in-law to London. You can imagine how envious I was!... I have been wanting for YEARS to experience this very English tradition in beautiful surroundings and when, at last, I gave got the chance, I have to let it go because of work commitments! Such is life or, as I would say back home: c'est la vie!...
Anyway, both lucky girls had a wonderful time and told me all about the perfectly cut finger sandwiches, the scones with clotted cream and jam, the little cakes and the tea, the delicate blue china and silver spoons, the attentive waiters, the pianist and the elegant decor. They both expected Miss Marple to make an appearance.
Nowadays, we live in a fast world and such things as Afternoon Tea belong to the past, but it would be nice sometimes to be able to just slow down and take our time over home-made cakes and fresh tea or coffee served on a crisp table cloth with the best china we own...
I bought a delightful little book entitled Tea at Fortnum & Mason in an attempt to re-create some tea-time recipes.
Maybe, one rainy Sunday afternoon, I will host my own tea party with home-made scones and cakes served on pretty plates and lacy doilies....
When I was a student in London, many years ago, I was too poor to have afternoon tea :( But I had scones with jam and clotted cream once when I visited my friend in Cambridge :)
I love the idea of afternoon tea too. The other day, I was browsing my old copy of Tricia Foley's Having Tea and wishing for time to bake a little something for tea one of these days. Hope you get your chance soon!
Posted by: erin | November 01, 2011 at 12:50 PM
When we visited England we enjoyed this tea rooms nearly every day. Not as exclusiv and elegant as at Fortnum&Masons, just very pretty and lovely little tea rooms in also pretty and lovely little villages. And we always wished that our Cafes here would serve a cup of coffe and a slice of cake with so many style, with a crackling open fire at our side on rainy days, table cloths and vintage china. Every day we choose another cake I got to know via blogland, cakes we don´t have here and the scones were our favorits. What we never tested were the sandwiches with cucumber, although they are mentioned in nearly every single english novel I read. But one day for sure I will.
It is a lovely plan to make your own tea party, to celebrate a saturday or sunday afternoon, a wonderful adding to every weekend. And with this book at your side it will surely soon be a new habit for your family, to ask for a tea party every week.
Posted by: Krawuggl | November 09, 2011 at 02:41 PM