Afternoon Tea beneath the beams of a 17th Century Threshing Barn

Afternoon Tea in a calm and relaxing setting... and we have chosen the very best for you; warm scones with jam & clotted cream, extraordinary cakes and pâtisserie and an array of freshly prepared finger sandwiches. All served on bone china and with a selection of loose-leaf teas.

Why Afternoon Tea?During the early nineteenth century it was usual for people to have only two meals a day, breakfast in the morning and dinner around 8 o'clock in the evening. It is said that Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford complained of "having that sinking feeling" during the late afternoon; she wanted something to give her sustenance through to dinner - her solution was a pot a tea and a light snack, taken privately in her boudoir during the afternoon. And so, it is said, her solution of tea in the afternoon became popular, and the new dining experience of Afternoon Tea was coined.

Though this is a lovely story, the origin of Afternoon Tea is difficult to pin down. It is known several spas and hotels would serve tea and cake in the mid to late afternoon from as early as the 1750s... I guess we will never know.

Fuller information and booking details can be found from the What’s On page of GreatGreenBarn.com.