Dining · · 5 min read
The Art of Afternoon Tea
Scones first or sandwiches? Jam or cream on top? Our pastry chef settles the great British debates, with recipes.
Afternoon tea began as a practical solution. In the 1840s the Duchess of Bedford found the gap between lunch and an eight o'clock dinner unbearable, and asked for tea, bread and butter to be brought to her room. Within a few years it was the most fashionable ritual in London.
Our pastry chef, Hannah Price, serves around four hundred teas a week in the library lounge. We asked her to settle the arguments guests have at almost every table.
Sandwiches first, always
"The order goes savoury, then scones, then pastries," Hannah says. "It is the same logic as any good meal: you build towards sweetness." Our sandwiches change with the season, but there is always cucumber with mint butter, and egg mayonnaise with cress on soft white bread.
Jam or cream on top?
The great regional debate. In Cornwall it is jam first, then clotted cream; in Devon, cream first, then jam.
"Cream first is easier to spread, jam first is prettier. I am from Cornwall, so you can guess which one I serve."
Whatever you choose, split the scone by hand rather than cutting it. A warm scone should pull apart along its natural seam.
Hannah's scones
Makes twelve small scones.
- Rub 350g self-raising flour, a pinch of salt and 85g cold butter together until it looks like breadcrumbs.
- Stir in 3 tablespoons caster sugar.
- Warm 175ml whole milk with a squeeze of lemon and a few drops of vanilla, then add it all at once.
- Bring together with a knife, barely knead, and press to 4cm thick.
- Cut with a floured cutter, push straight down and never twist.
- Brush with beaten egg and bake at 220°C for 10 minutes.
The secret is speed and a light hand. Overworked dough makes heavy scones.
Choosing your tea
We pour eight loose-leaf teas from a small London blender. Hannah's pairing advice:
- Darjeeling first flush with sandwiches; it is light and floral
- Assam with scones, strong enough to stand up to cream
- Lapsang souchong with chocolate pastries, if you like a little smoke
Afternoon tea is served daily from 2pm to 5pm. Hotel guests can reserve through the concierge, and we can adapt every course for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diets with a day's notice.
