At the Dilmah t-Bar, we are often asked by guests what Afternoon High Tea is all about and how did this delectable custom came to be.
Afternoon high tea is a mini meal tea ritual introduced in Britain in the early 1800s as an energizer, in anticipation of an evening meal.
It is a meal usually composed of delicately cut sandwiches, jam, sweet pastries and cakes coupled with tea. This was later developed as a private social event for ladies who climbed into the upper classes of society. Afternoon High Tea later on became a formal occasion after Queen Victoria herself engaged in an afternoon tea ritual.
A “tea reception” could have as many as 200 guests with an open invitation usually at home for guests to visit between 4 PM to 7 PM, during which they could come and go as they pleased. This became the Afternoon High Tea that we know today.
Afternoon High Tea is enjoyed around the world as an occasion to celebrate a personal or a special event with family or friends or to simply sit back, relax and celebrate good indulgence.