An afternoon tea is a tradition in Perth and several other regions in Australia. However, with the world rolling at a hectic pace, not many people are finding time to make afternoon tea, making the gathering more of a rare and special treat. Preparing afternoon tea in Perth for family and friends is quite easy once you’ve decided the kind of tea you want to make.
Before learning how to make the afternoon tea, it’s important you know the difference between high tea and afternoon tea. Basically, an afternoon tea is a lighter affair, usually had between 3 pm and 5 pm. Besides the tea, the tea party also comprises snack items such as scones, sandwiches, pastries, desserts, etc. On the contrary, a high tea is technically a full-fledged meal, which is taken a bit later in the evening with some heavy savory dishes.
There can be three variants of an afternoon tea. Cream tea is the lightest of them all, featuring the tea, jam, cream, and scones. A light tea comprises sweets and some sweet tea elements. A full tea brings to the table savories – for instance, tea sandwiches. Generally, all these tea varieties come with an assortment of items, with different kinds of scones on offer, along with desserts such as tarts, cupcakes, jelly rolls, etc. Different tea sandwiches are also part of the course, including ham to classic cucumber.
Prior to making the afternoon tea, dress the table and give it a more formal look. Use table linens and place nice silver and china crockery, if you have them. In case a formal setup is not possible, use flowers to decorate the table, and place matching cups, plates, etc. And if matching items are not available too, set the table carefully, to ensure the mismatching doesn’t look obvious. Clean and set up the room you’re planning to have tea in. When the guests join you for the tea party, they should feel welcomed and not get a sense of having barged in to a busy house.
Most of the items that comprise an afternoon tea can be prepared the day prior. For example, desserts can usually be made a day in advance. Scones, on the other hand, must be freshly made so that they don’t go cold when it’s time to relish the tea. Tea sandwiches and its various ingredients can be collated several hours earlier, especially if you’re protecting the slices from moisture. All the afternoon tea food items are served traditionally in a stand with multiple tiers. You may use platters in case there’s no stand available.