Afternoon tea is the perfect way to relax and indulge oneself with a British tradition that dates to 1840 when in an effort to deal with a certain boredom and hunger shown by the Duchess of Bedford, her staff hit upon the idea of preparing an elegant tray of mid-afternoon tea with small baked sweets . This “diversion” was so enjoyed by the Duchess that she began to invite lady friends to share in her Afternoon Tea and they, in turn, began to do the same. By 1880, taking Afternoon Tea had become the refined thing to do and tea shops were a common sight. And remember, Afternoon Tea mustn’t be confused with High Tea, which isn’t a fancy ‘Tea’ at all but is actually a full meal that even today in England, generally refers to what most Americans think of as dinner. It came to be called High Tea because it is served at a high (dining) table.
