Spill The Tea - Just Not Literally

Image by Kirsten Valentini

Fake tea parties were not part of my playtime as a child. I wasn’t particularly fond of pretending to eat so my sister and I would pull down my mom’s china tea set and have real tea parties, complete with poptarts plated on fine china and a tablecloth.  Now as an adult, I’m happy to share that I’ve upgraded from poptarts to a more classic selection of finger sandwiches. 

From the family archives

While watching Belgravia, created by Julian Fellowes (creator of Downton Abbey), I learned that traditional “afternoon tea” was created in 1840 by the seventh Duchess of Bedford because she would get hungry in the afternoon. How relatable is that?

All Images by Kirsten Valentini

My love for afternoon tea extends beyond needing a snack at 4PM (though that is a big component). What I love most about it is the vast array of accessories required for a proper tea set up. Teapots are really just the beginning of tea accessories. A habit of mine is to actually take an interest in something simply because of the equipment required to do that task well. 

Now I’m sure my collection (Colette-tion if you will) of tea accessories is an anomaly and for that reason, I’d like to suggest some alternatives. I do recommend acquiring a teapot if you plan to host a tea party. A teapot is different from a kettle - you boil water in a kettle on the stove (or use an electric kettle) and you steep tea in a teapot and serve from it as well. You should have both for a tea party.

You do not need cups and saucers if you don’t want to make the investment; mugs are just fine. You can use teabags in your teapot if you don’t have a tea strainer. However, if you have a small sieve, that works for loose tea! 

A tiered serving stand is a classic tea party look but plates or platters are sufficient substitutions. Yummy sandwiches and delicious treats will likely distract from the absence of a tiered serving stand. For my afternoon tea menu, I’ve made classic scones with jam and clotted cream and 3 tea sandwiches: curried chicken salad, cucumber, and ham and cheese. For a sweet treat, I’ve included mini lemon tarts.

But most importantly, do not put your pinky out when drinking tea. That is not Colettiquette and besides, it’s not very comfortable to do.