Afternoon Tea is rarely served at the dining room table, and it is not necessary to own a complete set of china with matching serving bowls in order to enjoy the savory dishes, scones and sweets that comprise an Afternoon Tea menu. Instead, it is customary to have Afternoon Tea in the living room, family room or even in an outdoor seating area. If you own a teacart, it should be positioned close to the tea table. The tea table is usually the living room coffee table covered with a tablecloth and repurposed for holding the tea set, cake pedestal, plates and silverware and all of the serving dishes containing the food. These serving dishes can be selected to help enhance the theme, mood and atmosphere of the occasion and to reflect the season of the year.
We recommend visualizing the arrangement of the tea objects on the table and on the teacart well in advance of the gathering. In fact, it’s a good idea to make a sketch noting the exact platters, trays and bowls you intend to use and the foods they will be used to present. Since there are many last-minute details in serving Afternoon Tea, the sketch will help you save time and avoid little moments of panic and dither that will disturb your guests. You do not want to discover after your guests have arrived that you loaned your favorite cream pitcher and sugar bowl to your sister and she has not returned them yet. Also, the process of visualizing the presentation of the food and serving pieces is a creative activity that should be done in a serene setting when there is plenty of time to rearrange and change the layout. One needs to consider factors such as the height, shape, colors and patterns of the various objects and how they will harmonize with the objects around them, and this will take time.
One important consideration in selecting serving pieces is the level of formality you have chosen for your tea gathering. A very formal Afternoon Tea might call for silver trays, fine china, an elegant floral arrangement, cut crystal serving pieces and a white or cream colored damask or lace tablecloth. Among the menus we have included, the Easter Tea, the Mother’s Day Tea, the Wedding Reception Tea, the Christmas Tea, the British Afternoon Tea and the American Southern Tea might be candidates for a formal presentation. In contrast, the July Picnic Tea, the Afternoon Tea for Children and the Urban Tea on the Go will call for a more informal approach. An informal tea might include wooden serving trays, ceramic dishes, casually arranged wildflowers, sturdy bowls in clear or colored glass and a seasonally themed printed tablecloth and napkins.
If you decide to host one of our Teas that Celebrate Cultures, try to include serving pieces that bring the aesthetic values of that culture to mind. A blue and white setting might be nice for the Greek Family Reunion Tea. If you host the Chinese Dim Sum Tea, you will purchase most of the food, but it would be appropriate to serve the pork and shrimp dumplings (shu mai and har gao) on a decoratively patterned Chinese serving platter. Even if you only own one Chinese platter, you can combine it with plain white serving plates and still create a Chinese effect. The same principle will apply to the Japanese New Year’s Tea. If you only have one round black lacquered tray, you can use it to serve the sushi and select the other bowls and dishes from your own cupboard.
Platters are perfect accessories for Afternoon Tea, as they are easy to store and can be used for serving a variety of different foods. Because tea sandwiches are charming little rectangles, it creates a pleasing effect to line them up in two rows down the long side of a rectangular platter. Platters can be made of china, glass, wood, lacquer, patterned ceramics or earthenware, or even silver. The versatility of platters can help you create just the right mood for your Afternoon Tea. The same is true for bowls and other serving pieces such as small pitchers for serving sauces, pickle dishes and cheese boards. Always remember that Creativity is an important component of the Philosophy of Tea, and your selection and arrangement of serving pieces is a creative gift that will bring joy and delight to your guests.
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THE TEA BOOK
The Road Back to Civilization
A Brief History of Tea
Philosophy of Tea
Harmony
Humility
Respect
Creativity
Guidelines for the Host/Hostess
Gathering and Greeting
Sharing Stories
Sharing Food
Sending the Guests Home
Respect your Hostess/Host
Bring a Gift if You Wish
Practice Humility
Monitor Your Conversation
Arrive With a Grateful Attitude
Help if Help is Needed
Do Not Criticize
Leave Gracefully
Send a Thank you Note
A Checklist for Planning a Tea Party
Teas of the World and How to Make Tea
A Sampling of Teas
Herbal Teas and Tisanes
How to Make Tea
Making Iced Tea
Tea Concentrate
Brewing Tea for a Crowd
Tea Kettle
Tea Pot
Tea Cozy
Teacups
Plates
Silverware
Teacart
Tea Strainer
Tea Infuser
Three-Tiered Server
Cream Pitcher and Sugar Bowl
Cake Pedestal
Trifle Bowl
Jam Pots
Serving Dishes, Platters, and Trays
Silver Tea Set or Silver Tray
Linens
Kitchen Equipment for Food Preparation
Sandwiches and Savories
Savory Spreads and Dips
Scones and Tea Breads
Afternoon Tea and the Four Seasons
A Spring Tea
An Outdoor Summer Tea
A Winter Afternoon Tea
An Autumn Afternoon Tea
January:A Japanese New Year’s Tea
February:Valentine’s Day Tea
March:A St. Patrick’s Day Irish Tea
April:An Easter Tea
May:Mother’s day Tea
June:A Wedding Reception Tea
July:A Picnic Tea
AUGUST:A FAMILY REUNION TEA
A North American Family Reunion Tea
An Eastern Mediterranean Family Reunion Tea
A Kosher Family Reunion Tea
A Scandinavian Family Reunion Tea
September:An Ozark Farm Harvest Tea
October:A Tea to Honor Our Ancestors(Dia de los Muertos)
November:A Post Thanksgiving Tea
December: A Christmas Tea
In Defense of Fruitcake:Fruitcakes and Candied Fruit
A Chinese Dim Sum Tea
A Portuguese Tea
A Classic British Afternoon Tea
An Indian Chai Party
A California Tea
A Hawaiian Tea
An Italian Tea
An American Southern Tea
A Russian Tea
A French Afternoon Tea
A Kosher Teawith Traditional Jewish Foods
Afternoon Tea for Special Occasions
An Afternoon Tea for Children
A Tea for Our Elders
A Honey Bee Tea in the Garden
An Urban Tea on the Go
Tea for One
Afternoon Tea For a Large Group
A Vegan Tea
A Rose Tea