Buxton Crescent on the Net Online Talk - The History of Afternoon Tea with Meryl White

Whilst legend has it that tea drinking goes back to ancient China, it was much later in the 16th century that Portuguese merchants brought it west. It became popular in England during the 1660s, when the Portuguese Infanta, Catherine de Braganza brought a chest of tea as a dowry for her marriage to Charles II. The credit for introducing the ceremony of afternoon tea, however, belongs to Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, in the 19th century. The habit of serving dinner at 8.00 p.m. left her with a 'sinking feeling' by late afternoon. To stave off hunger pangs, she ordered tea, sandwiches and cakes. Since she frequently entertained, her friends joined in and the tradition was established. Around this time, Mrs Beeton wrote her training manual of household management, so afternoon tea acquired many airs and graces; tea was sipped and thin bread and butter sandwiches, exquisite cakes and scones were eaten from the finest bone china, elegantly presented on freshly starched white table cloths. Today, afternoon tea parties are all about savouring the experience. Enjoy the talk as Meryl explores the origins and the characters involved in this quintessential British ritual and what makes the perfect Afternoon tea.