I enjoy an English traditional high tea but here are some tips so you avoid a regrettable food coma from too eating too much sugar.

Set your budget at the start so you don’t overspend. Brainstorm the dishes you’d like to serve and then see if you have enough servings per person. You don’t want to under or over-cater.

It’s best if the dishes can be eaten in small bites. But try to balance out the savoury and sweet dishes.  

High Tea Menu

If you’d like to host an English style tea party then consider a menu with:

• Finger sandwiches on crustless bread. Think cucumber, smoked salmon, dill and cream cheese, roast beef and watercress
• Quiches
• Mini Cornish pasties and sausage rolls
• Victoria sponge with fresh strawberries and cream
• Homemade scones served with jam and cream
• Mini fruit and custard tartlets
• Mini cupcakes
• Chocolate marble cake

You might like to have a selection of popular teas including Assam, Darjeeling, Ceylon, Lapsang Souchong, Jasmine and Earl Grey. You can purchase loose specialist teas online.

Consider offering sugar cubes in a sugar bowl with tongs.

Table Decorations

Fresh flowers especially roses would be ideal as centrepieces. Take care that your guests won’t accidentally knock them over and spill water.

Did you know street parties were held for The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, and the Silver Jubilee in 1977 where Coronation chicken buns were served? If your event is more informal, you might like to have a jug or two of Pimm’s Punch and hang some bunting.

Baking Tips

You might like to cook the Victoria sponge the day beforehand in a rose gold round or heart-shaped cake pan by Wiltshire. Alternatively use a springform pan for cheesecakes.

The rose gold perforated rectangle quiche and the tart pan are ideal for cutting small slices. Or you could cook your quiches in a mini quiche and tart pan.

Wiltshire’s enamel bake trays are ideal for heating sausage rolls and Cornish pasties. You could even cook individual pies in their enamel pie dishes.  The bakeware range features a high-quality non-stick coating, oven safe to 220C and is dishwasher, fridge and freezer safe.

Sprinkle your baked goods with vanilla bean sugar, lavender sugar or chocolate ginger sugar from Gewürzhaus.

Check out this recipe for a Victoria sponge cake here.