The History of Afternoon Tea

‘Tea to the English is really a picnic indoors.’ Alice Walker

There is nothing more quintessentially English than the ritual of Afternoon Tea and it is to Anna Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, to whom we owe our thanks.

In the 1840s it was custom to eat only two meals a day, but it is said that the Duchess complained of ‘having that sinking feeling’ as the afternoon wore on. The Duchess had the ingenious idea of enjoying a pot of tea and a slice of cake – a bright spark of the early 19th century if you ask us – and before you could say ‘Polly put the kettle on’ our beloved past time was born.

We carry on this tradition every day at Sugar Junction, serving afternoon tea with a heavenly selection of freshly baked cakes, exquisitely soft and scrumptious sandwiches, and a pot of loose tea of your choice.

For Afternoon Tea bookings we can cater for up to 30 guests at any time in the week, we just don’t take any weekend bookings. We can customise the Afternoon Tea package to your liking, with Gluten free cakes, or the delightful option of adding Prosecco.