British Tea Culture

British Tea Culture

Brief History• Britain is a tea-drinking nation.

The popularity of tea dates back to the 19th century when India was part of the British Empire. It was, however, first introduced in Britain by Catherine of Braganza, queen consort of Charles II in the 1660s and the 1670s. As tea spread throughout the United Kingdom people started to have tea gardens and tea dances, that included watching fireworks or dinners that ended with a nice evening tea.

British tea ritual• Tea is usually black tea served with milk (never cream) and sometimes with

sugar. Strong tea is served with lots of milk and often two teaspoons of sugar, usually in a mug, is referred to as builder's tea. Much of the time in the United Kingdom, tea drinking is not the delicate, refined cultural expression that the rest of the world images—a cup (or commonly a mug) is something drunk often, with some people drinking as many as 6 or more cups a day.

• Tea breaks are when tea and biscuits are served. The traditional time for tea breaks are at 11.00 a.m. (Eleven see) and 4 pm in the afternoon.

• Even very slightly formal events can be a cause for cups and saucers to be used instead of mugs.

• Whether to put milk into the cup before or after the tea is, and has been since at least the 20th century, a matter of some debate with claims that adding milk at the different times alters the flavor of the tea.

• There is also a proper manner in which to drink tea when using a cup and a saucer. If one is seated at the table, the proper manner to drink tea is to raise the teacup only, placing it on the saucer in between sips. When not in use, the teacup is placed back in the tea saucer and held in one’s lap or at waist height.

• Drinking tea from the saucer (poured from the cup in order to cool it) was not uncommon at one time but is now almost universally considered a breach of etiquette.

Interesting facts• Years ago, the milk was poured into the

cup first, so as not to crack the porcelain. • If someone asks you if you ‘would like a

cuppa', they are asking if you would like a cup of tea.

• If someone says ‘let me be mother' or ‘shall I be mother', they are offering to pour out the tea from the teapot.

• If something is not quite to your taste, it’s probably ‘not your cup of tea'. e.g. Windsurfing is not my cup of tea.

Tea as a meal• By contrast, Tea is the afternoon/evening meal, called that even if the diners are drinking

beer, cider or juice. It traditionally takes place at sometime around 6pm (though these days, it often takes place as late as 9pm).

• In Scotland, Northern England, and Northern Ireland, tea as a meal is synonymous with dinner In Standard English. Under such usage, the midday meal is sometimes termed dinner, rather than lunch.

• For Scottish people dinner is a meal eaten at midday and tea is the evening meal. • In cricket, the second of the two intervals during a match lasting a full day or more is

known as the tea interval. Light refreshments such as sandwiches, cakes, fruit, pasta, teas and juice are served to the players.

• There used to be a tradition of tea rooms in the UK which provided the traditional fare of cream and jam on scones, a combination commonly known as cream tea.

• It is a common misconception that cream tea refers to tea served with cream (as opposed to milk). This is certainly not the case, although sometimes a slice of banana is added, a tradition emanating from the Caribbean. It simply means that tea is served with a scone with clotted cream and jam.

Afternoon Tea• Afternoon tea is a light meal typically

eaten between 3pm and 5pm. • Traditionally, loose tea is brewed in a

teapot and served in teacups with milk and sugar. This is accompanied by sandwiches, scones (with clotted cream and jam) and usually cakes and pastries.

• A formal afternoon tea is, nowadays, usually taken as a treat in a hotel, café or tea shop. In everyday life, many British take a much simpler refreshment consisting of tea and biscuits at teatime.

Afternoon TeaAfternoon tea is a light meal typically eaten between 3pm and 5pm. Traditionally, loose tea is brewed in a teapot and served in teacups with milk and sugar. This is accompanied by sandwiches, scones (with clotted cream and jam) and usually cakes and pastries. A formal afternoon tea is, nowadays, usually taken as a treat in a hotel, café or a tea shop. In everyday life, many British take a much simpler refreshment consisting of tea and biscuits at teatime.

High Tea

• High tea (also known as meat tea) is an early evening meal, typically eaten between 5pm and 6pm. It is now large followed by a later lighter evening meal.

• High tea would usually consist of cold meats, eggs or fish, cakes and sandwiches.

• The cakes may either be full sized and cut into slices, or smaller individual cakes, or muffins, toast or other savoury bread.

• In a family, it tends to be less formal and often it is essentially either a regularized treat

• On farms in the United Kingdom, high tea is the traditional and very substantial meal enjoyed by the workers immediately after dark, and combines afternoon tea with the main evening meal.

• It was called High tea because many would have the tea on high chairs and tables and therefore, the tea would be high. It was entertained in this manner because it was thought that afternoon tea would be more easily digested when sitting at a high angle to aid digestion as the abdominal muscles would be more active at that angle.

High Tea

Tea dance (world records)• Tea Dances (or Thé Dansants) were the

first modern social dances, accessible to all. They developed from the concept of “afternoon tea” in the late 19th century and really became popular in the early 1900s, when the shocking Argentine Tango arrived in Britain. A frequent feature of tea dances was the presence of a live orchestra – often referred to as a palm court orchestra – playing light classical music. The types of dances performed during tea dances included Waltzes, Tangos and, by the late 1920s, The Charleston.

• The Guinness Book of Records cites the biggest ever open air tea dance as one held in Glasgow on 30 December 2008 when 418 dancers in George Square during the city's Winterfest celebrations. The programme of music for the event was provided by the Scottish swing dance band That Swing Sensation, with dance hosts the Fly Right Dance Company. The previous record was 195 couples, who danced in London's Trafalgar Square in 2005.

• Subsequently, the Royal Opera House in London held a World Record attempt on 8th July 2010 in Trafalgar Square, with the unofficial total being 507 dancers.