High Tea or Afternoon Tea

 

The term High Tea originated in England in about 1825. It referred to the meal consumed by workers at 5pm, after a long day of hard labour. Hot and hearty food such as Shepherd’s Pie would be washed down with a pot of tea.

 

The custom of Afternoon Tea originated in England in about 1840 and was enjoyed between 3pm and 5pm, as a way to fill the gap between lunch and dinner, which was normally served about 8pm.

 More recently, the term High Tea has been modified to describe a formal Afternoon Tea, in which food such as scones and finger sandwiches is presented on a three-tiered platter and tea served from a pot into fine china cups.

 This is an extract from last Sunday’s Sun Herald.