A Very British Ritual

Afternoon tea sits in its own quiet slot in the day, somewhere between half past three and five o'clock, when lunch is a distant memory and dinner still feels a long way off. It is a meal of small things done properly: thin sandwiches, warm scones, a slice or two of cake, and a pot of tea that has been given the attention it deserves.

It is worth saying what afternoon tea is not. High tea, despite the grander name, was historically a working supper of cold meats, bread and a pot of strong tea taken around six o'clock. Afternoon tea is the dainty, civilised affair — and the good news is that it is one of the easiest things in the world to host at home.

Setting the Table

You do not need inherited silver, but you do need a little order. Lay each place with a side plate, a small knife, a teacup on its saucer and a napkin. A cake stand in the middle does most of the decorative work for you.

Food goes on the stand in a deliberate sequence, eaten from the bottom upwards:

• Bottom tier: finger sandwiches and small savouries.
• Middle tier: scones with jam and clotted cream.
• Top tier: cakes, tarts and petits fours.

If a stand feels too formal, three plates arranged along the table work just as well — just keep the same order.

The Etiquette, Plainly Put

Most tea etiquette exists to stop things clattering, spilling or being wolfed down. None of it is difficult.

• Stir quietly. Move the spoon back and forth in small strokes, never in circles, and never let it ring against the china. Leave the spoon on the saucer afterwards, never in the cup.
• Hold the cup by its handle — one finger through, the rest curled — and leave your little finger down. The raised pinky is a myth, and a slightly ridiculous one.
• Milk in after the tea, so you can judge the colour. The old milk-first habit came from thin porcelain that cracked under boiling water; modern cups can take it.
• Break, don't slice. Tear or break a scone into pieces with your fingers rather than cutting it through the middle like a bun.
• Sip, don't slurp, and save your dunking for the privacy of your own kitchen.
• Napkin on the lap, folded, dabbed rather than wiped.

Scones, and the Layering Question

Ask whether the jam or the cream goes on first and you will start a friendly argument that has been running for well over a century. Cornwall spreads jam first, then a dollop of cream on top. Devon — and much of the rest of the country — puts the cream down first and the jam on top. Both are correct. Neither is worth falling out over.

For eight generous scones, you will need:

• 350g self-raising flour, plus a little for dusting
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85g cold butter, cubed
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• A good pinch of salt
• 175ml milk, plus a squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 beaten egg, for glazing

Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan, gas mark 6). Rub the butter into the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt until it looks like fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the milk and lemon until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. Turn it onto a floured surface and handle it as little as possible — overworking makes scones tough. Pat to about 3cm thick, cut out rounds with a fluted cutter pushed straight down without twisting, and place them close together on a lined tray. Glaze the tops and bake for 12–15 minutes until risen and golden. Serve warm with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Sandwiches, Cakes and Other Small Pleasures

Finger sandwiches should be thin, neat and crustless. Butter the bread right to the edges so the filling does not make it soggy, and allow three or four per person across two or three fillings: cucumber salted and patted dry, smoked salmon with a squeeze of lemon, egg mayonnaise with cress, or ham with a scrape of English mustard. Cut them into fingers no wider than a thumb.

Cakes should be small enough to eat in two bites from a side plate: a square of lemon drizzle, a slice of fruit cake, a jam tart, a meringue. Anything that needs a fork is best left for another occasion.

Brewing the Perfect Pot

Warm the teapot first with a splash of hot water, swirl it and tip it out. Use loose leaf tea if you can — one teaspoon per person, plus one for the pot. Pour on water just off the boil for black blends; around 96°C is ideal, so let the kettle stand for a moment after it clicks off. Give it three to five minutes, no longer, then pour through a strainer.

Assam and English Breakfast suit milk; Darjeeling and Earl Grey are better without. Offer a jug of cold milk, a bowl of sugar and slices of lemon — never both lemon and milk in the same cup. When the pot runs low, make a fresh one rather than topping it up with hot water.

Hosting Without Fuss

Bake the scones on the morning of your tea and reheat them for five minutes before serving. Make the cakes a day ahead — most improve for it. Assemble sandwiches at the last minute, or cover them with a damp tea towel in the fridge for an hour. Everything else is simply a matter of keeping the pot filled, the plates passed and the conversation easy. That, more than any rule about jam or pinky fingers, is what a proper British afternoon tea is really about.