Afternoon Tea
- By Sonya Meagor
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- 01 Aug, 2017
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My last blog post was all about Wimbledon – of course strawberries and cream came up and as a natural progression, [perhaps because I am Cornish?], Cream Teas were mentioned too. That old argument of cream or jam first…
This month has seen me cater so many teas from a smart classic tea for newly qualified teachers as a celebratory event, to an Afternoon Tea for Trip Advisor.
I’ve had to bake scones in their dozens, so I thought what better subject than Afternoon Tea for my next post.
If you already like and follow my Facebook page you will know I posted some of the pictures of the teas I had catered for this month. These featured dainty chicken salad sandwiches, beautiful patisserie cakes and hearty scones with ample lashings of cream and jam and more. In the caption we called it “High Tea” but we were told by one of our sharp-eyed followers that in-fact, it is not a High Tea, but an Afternoon Tea.
Whoops! We may bake a mean scone and would like to think we know a lot about sustainability and ethical eating but we learn something new every-day too.
This felt like the perfect opportunity to learn about the difference between High Tea and Afternoon Tea and share it with you too.
We found out that High Tea is actually usually eaten between 5pm-7pm and must feature a warm dish. So the traditional teas with sandwiches and cakes that we have been serving recently do not fall in to these criteria at all.
After a little more digging we found out that High Tea was essentially what we call dinner or supper these days, but back then it was a very classist affair and was something for the working classes. It involved bread, cheese and veg and occasionally meat too, not forgetting a mug of tea as well.
Afternoon Tea was a social event for the upper classes and bridged the gap between lunch and the evening meal as many of the upper class didn’t eat until 8 or 9pm. Afternoon Tea usually involved cakes and bread with butter as a light bite served in a parlour on low comfortable chairs. Whereas High Tea was eaten at the table and so dining high back chairs were sat on to eat this.
More history for you, as we learned that Afternoon Tea originated in the early 19th Century by the 7th Duchess of Bedford and was enjoyed at home with friends. But soon it took off as a trend and in the Edwardian times tea houses and lounges started to pop up and Afternoon Tea was fashionable to be served in these luxury surroundings at around 4pm.
This is quite similar to the teas served at hotels and high-end department stores that we still have to this day – think tea at Sketch, The Dorchester or even Selfridges. Or if you are from up North, Betty’s is the perfect example.
When enjoying an Afternoon Tea catered by eco cuisine, you know that we use the highest quality British ingredients from local suppliers. This means your food is more eco-friendly than when buying from a caterer who isn’t concerned with ethical and sustainable eating. Plus, it is of course delicious!
The Millfield theatre is home to eco cuisine and the events have been held here too for that reason.
OLIO (the food app) and NLWA (North London Waste Authority) CROPDROP (local Haringey boxed fruit/vegetable scheme) plus our very own Sonya Meagor (eco cuisine) are confirmed as our first speakers and we're For each event, we support a North London based charity related to the event theme - for this event we're delighted to collaborate with The Felix Project .
TICKETS
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sustainable-food-packaging-tickets-61490383392?aff=website
With less than two weeks until Christmas and the holidays nearly upon us, the shops are stocked with delicious festive treats and people are already stocking up on Christmas food fit for a feast or two.
But, just because it is Christmas doesn’t mean we should not consider what is in season and keeping sustainability at the forefront of our minds.
So, what is in season over December and the winter seasons in Britain? Well, thankfully many of the Christmas time favourites are favourites for a reason – they’re traditionally easily grown and sourced in the U.K. over winter. Cabbage, sprouts, potatoes and onions, celeriac, celery and carrots as well as parsnip and swede are all in season this time of year. Not forgetting chestnuts, beef and venison and even guinea fowl too.
So roast dinners with all the trimmings can be environmentally friendly! Of course clementines, pomegranates and dates are seasonal favourites too and these are obviously not sourced locally.
Whatever you buy and eat over the festive season, remember to consciously consume – making informed and conscious decisions about what you buy and eat.
In the lead-up to the Christmas break we enjoy hearty, warming foods, keeping us warm in the cold weather and suitably fuelled over this busy season.
We enjoy Rumbledethumps – for those who haven’t heard of it, it is the Scottish equivalent of bubble and squeak as it is often made with leftovers, though it isn’t usually fried. It is a lovely filling dish served as a side or when served with a nice piece of fish or chicken breast can even be a substantial main meal.
Rumbledethumps
550g large potatoes,
350g swede
60g unsalted butter
250g kale, finely sliced
1 small onion diced
Sprigs of thyme
25g cheddar cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Peel and chop the potatoes and the swede and chop into large chunks. Next, boil in a saucepan tender. Drain and return to the pan.
Heat three quarters of the butter in a pan on medium low heat and cook the kale and the onions for a few minutes, until the kale is tender and onions lightly browned.
Add the kale and onions to the pan with the potatoes and swede then add the remaining butter and mash together. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Place the mashed medley into an ovenproof dish and top with the cheese. Cover with a lid and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, then remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes, or until piping hot and golden-brown on top. Serve with fresh thyme.
What winter dishes keep you going in the lead-up to the Christmas break? Let us know in the comments.
