Must-haves for an Afternoon – or Evening – Tea
A few weeks ago, I hosted an afternoon…evening…tea for our book club. It was such a fun, relaxed way to spend time together and I’ve been a fan ever since. Add to that the fact that I’ve been watching The Great British Bake Off and it’s naturally a perfect fit. I’m still trying to figure out the difference between a “biscuit” and a “cookie” though. If anyone has any insight on this, I’d love to hear it!
Today, I’m sharing a few of my essentials for hosting tea…
Make sure you have a good selection of teas. Include a good mix of teas in your basket: green tea, white tea (white tea is caffeine-free for those expecting), black teas, and even turmeric teas are good additions. You can also play around with loose leaf teas. There are lots of different combinations there. If you go this route, make sure that you have tea strainers available for your guests. I gave them away as party favors at our Royal Wedding Tea.
Don’t be afraid to mix and match your teacups. I love picking up antique teacups that complement our gold-rimmed china here and there. It makes a table look so festive. Make sure you have saucers and teaspoons. Pretty and delicate vessels for your cream and sugar are also a wonderful addition. You can use a ramekin in a pinch. I always include a little silver tray for guests to place discarded items and dirty spoons.
A little tip: go ahead and make yourself a tea before your guests arrive so you can use the discard tray. Much like slicing off the first few pieces of a new wedge of cheese, a discard tray just needs someone to start before others know to jump in.
Pastries are a must – and more is more. Add a few Madeleines, chocolate croissants, scones (like my fabulous friend Mary Beth’s below), shortbread cookies, and other assorted tea cookies to your spread.
Balance out the sweet with the savory. Tea sandwiches are your best friends at tea. From pimento cheese to benedictine to watercress, light bites are wonderful with tea.
Invest in a teapot. It’ll make life much easier. This is one item that I actually haven’t found yet, but it is so important. I’ve been using a glass carafe or an old-fashioned pot of hot water on the stovetop to tide me over.
Break out your tiered serving pieces or stack two cake stands on top of one another to create one. It’s the perfect way to serve little sandwiches and sweets while adding height to your table. A few of my favorites are below.
This post contains affiliate links, but all are tried and true Magnolia Stripes favorites.
