Afternoon Tea in Dorothy's Mess
Welcome and Have a Cuppa!
A special Father’s Day Tea at the St. James Hotel in London.
I have always been an anglophile. I like British food, culture, The Queen, and their TV shows. But the one aspect of British Life I love the most is tea. I cannot explain this, but the Brits know how to make the best cup of tea. Other cultures make fantastic tea as well, and I think this is because they wait. Here in the US, it is all about grab and go. We do not stop and have a cup of tea with a cookie or cake, which makes me sad.
My history with afternoon tea started when I was in kindergarten in the 1970s. I had a friend whose family was British and going over to her house after school meant tea. We would have a choice of sandwiches and a cookie. All homemade by her mom, who would join us, and we would talk about our day. Fast forward to the 1990’s I was a student in London. I did not live near the campus. I choose to live off of campus in a different area of London. Many times my neighbors would see me in the afternoon and ask me in for tea. They would always accompany the tea with a biscuit (cookie) or cake. We would talk for a while, and I loved it.
Afternoon Tea in a coffee house in Dublin.
Also, whenever I am visiting either England or Ireland, I enjoy the tea and coffee shops. Here in the land of Starbucks, where they turn a ton of sugar and milk into tea. It is not only Starbuck; when you go to a restaurant, you get a teabag and pre-boiled water that is the wrong temperature. It always feels rushed to me. In Ireland or the United Kingdom, it is slower. By this, I mean people wait till their tea steeps. It is always hot. You can get a scone with clotted cream and jam to accompany your tea in the old tea shops where you are encouraged to sit and chat. While traveling in England as a college student. I met wonderful people who would chat with me when I was having tea. For me, I loved the connection I made with people while having tea.
Tea and Scone at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, UK.
I realize now during Covid times why I love the ritual of afternoon tea, and we have started that at my house; It is a moment where we all slow down to get our tea. During tea time, we talk about what is going on with our day. It may be short, but we slow down to wait for the tea to be brewed. Also, it forces us not to eat out of the fridge. We also make plates of snacks. During times where so much is out of control, it's just so soothing. It's the communal and calming essence of the afternoon tea that I love.
Tea and scone in Dorothy’s Mess
