Regency Tea for Friends ~ Part Two

Although Afternoon Tea as we know it wasn't introduced during Jane Austen's time period, there are many references to taking tea in her novels. Coffee was the fashion for many decades, but by 1700 the British upper class were changing their preference to tea. In the era of Jane Austen, tea was always served after dinner. The custom of taking Afternoon Tea as we think of it didn't appear until later, in 1840 with Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford when she complained of 'a sinking feeling' in the late afternoon and began to take tea and a butter sandwich in her boudoir in the afternoon. As she invited select friends to join her, it became the fashion to continue this tradition. Our menu for the Regency Tea featured a bit of both worlds.
Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwich
A Finger Sandwich of Mixed Vegetables
White cheddar & Olive Rounds
Cucumber with Mint butter
Artichoke & Spinach Toasts
Traditional English Cream Scones
Olde English Seed Cake
Mock Clotted Cream, Cinnamon Honey Butter
Fresh Cantaloupe and Summer Berries
Sticky Toffee Pudding
A fine Cake
Assorted Hot Teas We were pleased to once again welcome Eliza Blackwell Dupree, a lovely lady of the 19th century who regaled us with stories of tea during the Regency period as well as the customs and traditions of the time. It was an enjoyable afternoon as we stepped back in time.


The next opening of the door brought something more welcome; it was for the tea-things, which she had begun almost to despair of seeing that evening. ~Mansfield Park