AFTERNOON TEA ETIQUETTE | The Correct Etiquette to Observe during Afternoon Tea

my lovely elegant ladies welcome back to another video my name is vivienne the founder of woman of elegance which is a platform where i teach women globally how to become elegant sophisticated and classy ladies afternoon tea is such an elegant pre-dining experience because it really just takes away some of the formalities associated with dining at fine restaurants in the evenings for example afternoon tea is a very quintessentially british activity because it allows you to indulge in some light bites and treats before dinner also there's a royal afternoon tea that is served with champagne if you're that way inclined ladies now ladies let's speak about what to wear to afternoon tea now afternoon tea is not so much of a formal event but neither is this informal and this is reflected in the kinds of environments that it's held at for example high-end hotels there are some beautiful hotels in london that serve wonderful afternoon tea among my favorites are claridges the ritz and the langham hotel i would not advise to wear anything such as rips jeans and definitely not trainers something such as a skater dress a shift dress or if you do opt to wear jeans then accompany it with a classy blazer a tip for the gentleman always wear a jacket ladies as tea is the primary ingredient at an afternoon tea there are many different kinds to choose from these range from black teas white teas and green teas however ladies coffee is not served so please don't request this you certainly don't need to be a tea connoisseur to know what teas to choose but since it's free-flowing just feel free to choose any ones that attracts you you will have a napkin with cutlery and a plate a cup with a saucer and a tea strainer you'll also be given sugar with tongs a pot of cold milk and a small saucer with lemon slices now ladies i want you to think carefully about the setup because the setting is immaculate and the crockery is delicate it can be a little bit shambolic when everybody is pouring tea for themselves especially when there are different teas to choose from and everybody is reaching across the table this is why it's important that one person is designated to pour tea for each individual this is normally the guest of honor or the host i.e the person who arranged the afternoon tea the tea is served as a loose leaf tea rather than tea bags this means that your strainer will be placed gently on top of your cup and this will catch any loose leaves that might fall into your cup green and white teas are served on its own and not drunk with any lemon sugar or milk you'll notice that afternoon royalties and high teas are served with a very extensive selection of tea many of these teas are seasonal and very expensive and hard to attain adding condiments to this will really cheapen and mask the rich flavors inherent in the tea and you will not experience the finesse of the tea also it will make you look a little bit amateur because not all teas are consumed the same way when serving the tea it's important to ask each guest if they want any additions to their tea for example milk sugar or lemon once they specify what they want it's important to add the sugar in first prior to the milk and the lemon let's move on to the food the food will be served on a three tiered rack the bottom will have a selection of sandwiches the middle will be scones rats and napkins and the third will be small desserts sometimes though the scones will be served on top and sometimes the rack will be served in two parts the first one will be savories i.e sandwiches and once those have been consumed then the desserts and scones will be served it just depends on the establishments now let's go on to talk about the sandwiches in a hotel these will be cut into rectangular pieces like so but in a private residence these will be cut into square bite-sized pieces so of course you will not use cutlery to eat this however in a hotel as these are served as finger sandwiches you should take the sandwich from the rack place into your plate and cut in half using your knife and fork never tear the sandwich apart or consume the whole sandwich using your knife and fork as you would a whole meal if all the food is served on one rack then it's important to allow everyone to finish eating their sandwiches before moving on to the scones and the desserts remember the afternoon tea is not a stomach filler it's important to enjoy the time and the association when you are indulging in afternoon tea now ladies it's time to eat it's essential that you use your napkins properly or you could risk making a mess you will be given a cotton napkin that should be folded in a triangle and placed in your lap ensure that the lips of the napkin i.e the opening is placed towards you this will allow you to open up the lips like so and dab your mouth should you get any crumbs on it it will also allow you to discreetly hide lipstick and food stains inside the napkin because these are unpleasant when on display place the strainer over your cup and then pour the tea into your cup this is designed to ensure no loose leaves fall into your cup it could make your tea bitter to the taste if this happens place the strainer back inside the cup if required pick up a sugar cube and drop it inside the cup do not plod it in the middle because this will create a splash and noise instead place it by the side of the cup so it gently slides in take your teaspoon and stir your sugar in a back and forth motion think of it as a clock 12 to 6 and vice versa never stir it round and round take your teaspoon and place it behind the cup now ladies if you want to add milk to your tea ensure that you don't pour tea towards the rim because this will create a spillage add your tea three quarters of the way to make room for the milk if you are at a table do not lift your cup and your saucer this should only be done when you're standing up and mingling for example at a polo match or a networking event or an auction for example but as this is afternoon tea and you'll be seated at a table this does not apply when drinking your cup don't tilt your head back and gulp the tea bring the tea towards you and drink look inside the teacup and not in front of you this will allow you to focus on what you are doing when you are holding your cup this should be done correctly this is simple take your cup put your index finger inside the handle and then your three fingers should be used to support the cup now ladies we are going to be speaking about scones and desserts you will always be served scones with your afternoon tea do not use a knife to cut your scone because this can become very messy it will get all over the table on your clothes so don't do this instead we break the scone in half you always be served clotted cream and jam with your scone this is optional however ladies if you do decide to have this please ensure that it is done correctly by scooping the condiments onto your plates first some people prefer to put the cream prior to the jam and vice versa however ladies it doesn't really matter what way it goes on i personally like to put my cream on before the jam a bit like putting butter on before jam when i'm buttering my toast now ladies let's speak about the final part and the most fun part of the meal the desserts now ordinarily you'll be given a miniature selection of desserts you can use your fingers to eat these but it is ladylike to use your knife and fork because you don't want to get sticky fingers and then having to find ways to clean it up it just gets a little bit messy and annoying so you should simply cut the dessert in half to make it more manageable to eat when placing your cutlery back on the plate do not do the robocop i.e knife and fork either side of the plate place the cutlery back on the plate as a pair like so once you have finished eating place your napkin on the table to indicate to the waiter that you've finished and they should come and clear the table if you have not finished eating and you wish to vacate the table please place your napkin on the chair which indicates that you will be returning ladies i hope you've enjoyed this video and it's inspired you to observe proper etiquette the next time you are enjoying afternoon tea so until next time bye for now [Music] you

Channel: Woman Of Elegance

Views: 102,220

Keywords: afternoon tea etiquette, tea etiquette, afternoon tea london, afternoon tea party, afternoon tea, English Afternoon Tea Etiquette, afternoon tea done right, proper afternoon tea, traditional afternoon tea, the right way to do afternoon tea, how to have afternoon tea, what is afternoon tea, How to hold teacup, english afternoon tea etiquette, london afternoon tea, afternoon tea at home, teacup, afternoon tea at home ideas, afternoon tea ideas

Id: -HeDw3SgrPw

Length: 9min 41sec (581 seconds)

Published: Tue Jul 06 2021