Afternoon tea is a British tradition dating back to the 1840s. If you’re thinking of indulging in this delightful custom, perhaps before heading to a family theatre show, there are some key etiquette guidelines you should try to adhere to. 

1. Dress code

Many different places - from cafés to posh hotels - offer afternoon tea and it’s important to dress for the occasion. If you’re heading to a local café, smart casual dress is fine - think a casual dress or smart jeans and a shirt. If you’re heading somewhere more luxurious, perhaps a noted hotel in London, smarter dress is appropriate. Trainers and sportswear are definitely not suitable!

2. Start from the bottom up

Afternoon tea is traditionally served on a tiered cake stand, with sandwiches and savoury items such sausage rolls at the bottom, scones in the middle, and cakes and sweet pastries on top. Instead of starting at the top and working down, the correct etiquette is to start from the bottom and work up, finishing with the sweetest treats. 
 

3. Use your hands

Afternoon tea is meant to be eaten with the hands - that’s why everything from the sandwiches to the cakes are small and delicate. Teaspoons are used for spooning jam and cream onto your scones or to stir your tea, but otherwise, use your fingers. 
 

4. Don’t make a sandwich with your scone

Proper afternoon tea etiquette requires you to break the scone in half and eat each half separately with jam and cream. Don’t sandwich the two halves together with the jam and cream in the middle. Worrying about whether to put the jam or cream on first? It doesn’t really matter - one is simply the Devonshire way and the other Cornish. 

5. Hold the lid of your teapot when pouring

This is as much a practical tip as a note on etiquette. Tea is served in traditional china teapots, which have lids that are not always very secure. To avoid the lid sliding off while pouring, hold the handle of the teapot in one hand and keep the lid securely on with the other. 

6. Lift only your teacup

You’ll drink your tea from a delicate china cup set on a saucer. When seated you should lift only your cup, leaving the saucer on the table. If you are standing, the saucer should be held in the right hand and the teacup lifted with the left.
 

7. Don’t dunk

While many Brits love to dunk a biscuit into their cuppa, this is not correct etiquette during afternoon tea. Instead, be sure to sip (not slurp!) your tea between nibbles of the delicious treats that are served. 

Don’t bring a tiger

We don’t recommend bringing a tiger to afternoon tea - he might eat all the food and drink all the water from the taps just like in Judith Kerr’s best-selling children’s book! If you want some tiger fun in Birmingham after an afternoon tea, you can catch The Tiger Who Came to Tea at Birmingham Town Hall. Theatre for preschoolers doesn’t get much better - the show is interactive and lasts just 55 minutes to suit shorter attention spans. Book your family theatre tickets today to enjoy this roarsome adventure.