Afternoon tea

Afternoon tea is the British late-afternoon meal of a pot of tea with small sandwiches, cucumber among them, scones with clotted cream and jam, and cakes. It fills the gap between lunch and a late dinner; English Heritage puts it at around five o'clock, other sources between four and five.

The custom is traditionally linked to Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, in the 1840s. Her household dined late, at eight, so she asked for tea and a light bite in the afternoon and began inviting friends. The National Trust says she is "commonly believed" to have started it, while a V&A blog treats the story as a legend, since tea gatherings existed before. By the late 1840s the royal household held daily afternoon parties.

Why then? English Heritage explains that dinner kept moving later, often to seven or after in Victoria's reign, leaving a long gap after breakfast. At the same time tea taxes fell and Indian plantations grew, and tea became the national drink. The National Trust adds that cheaper black teas from Assam, Darjeeling and Ceylon made it affordable.

Tea was first drunk black; milk came later, and sugar was added to soften bitterness. In the 1880s upper-class women changed into long gowns, gloves and hats for tea in the drawing room.

Two neighbours are easy to confuse with it. High tea is not a grander afternoon tea but the hearty evening meal of working families after a long day: pies, cheese on toast, meats and tea. Cream tea is simpler: scones, strawberry jam, clotted cream and hot sweet tea; Devon puts the cream on first, Cornwall reverses the order.

Why this matters to you: for afternoon tea at home you need black tea, cucumber sandwiches, scones, jam and clotted cream, plus an hour between lunch and dinner.