How to make a special Victorian high tea.

Tearooms charge a fortune to serve afternoon high tea.   Why not treat your mum (or your dad, or anyone else for that matter) to a high tea at home? It need not cost much, and is easy to do.

1. Decide when you are going to have your tea party and make a special invitation telling your mum where and when it will be.

2. Choose a nice tidy table.  Make it look as nice as you can.  You could cover it with a table cloth, or put some flowers on it.  Lay out a cup, saucer, plate, knife and fork for each of your guests.

3. Make some cakes.  Shortbread or very easy chocolate fudge cakes are ideal.  Scones with jam and cream would also be good, as they taste nice with tea.  If you don’t have time to make cakes, you could make some jam sandwiches instead.

4. Make some delicious sandwiches, using your mum’s favourite filling.  Or try something new, like cucumber.  Remember to make the sandwiches just before you are ready to serve them.  They soon go dry and won’t taste as nice.

5. Arrange them on a plate to look nice.  You could even use paper serviettes or doilies (paper circles with patterns cut into them) to make them look extra special.

6. Make some of your mum’s favourite tea.  You may have to get a grown up to help you with this.

7. Put the tea on the table.  Invite your mum to sit down and bring her the plates of cakes and sandwiches.

8. Finally – remember to tidy the kitchen up after you have finished!  Your mum will be delighted!

Stories featuring Victorian High Tea

A Trip to Betty’s Tearooms

A Mother’s Day Treat