High Tea

I have never heard of this Floradora9
But why would you want tea and toast with it, and all the other things afterwards? It is obviously too much food which is why people take things home.Why is it called High tea?

We used enjoy a high tea when I was young. I loved the mix of main cours then tea and cakes!

And I am Scottish

Scotland and I am sure the North of England. Wakes too?
Yes, it is a knife and fork meal and I get incredibly irritated at people who refer to “posh” afternoon tea - the sort with dainty tiny sandwiches and cake stands of equally dainty scones and fancies, - as “high tea” !

I've not heard of it what are the main meals like?

I am from Yorkshire and high tea was very substantial, served about 5 and there was always a main dish with a pudding .

I remember things like gammon steak with chips, fish and chips, steak pie etc. We went to the same place every week. The table had to have a tablecloth on. I haven't seen it offered for a while.

High tea is served between 4 & 7pm in some restaurants and hotels in Scotland as an alternative to Dinner.

We are talking country fate - for farm workers, other people who worked out of doors including manual workers,
You need a hot meal to keep out the cold - and I am surprised to sound as if I am in a minority to know of such things!

Boarding school on match days for the kids was High Tea and normal days was Low Tea with supper later

I ve never heard of it either is it a north of the border saying
We always had :-
Breakfast , dinner (midday) tea about 5 pm and supper (supper was just a warm drink and biscuit before going to bed )

Posh people had dinner at night but working class had it midday

Tea toast and scones and cakes sounds really weird to have with a cooked dinner !!!!

We had breakfast, lunch and dinner (though sometimes dinner was called tea) Supper was crackers and milk before bed

I remember high tea. A main meal served with bread and butter and cakes and usually about 5pm.

I find these things fascinating

When children and sports tournaments it was squash and a bit of orange if it warm but hot ribena and biscuits if it was cold

Many years ago we stayed in a B and B in Scotland. Off we went at 6 and had a cooked meal at a local restaurant. On our return there was high tea, a fantastic spread which our generous hosts had ready for us. It could have been embarrassing but fortunately dad was a trencherman and managed to put more than his share away. If only we had known!

High Tea when I was young was something like cheese on toast, scram led eggs and bacon, smoked haddock with poached egg, sardines on toast typoe things followed by cakes or tinned fruit and evaporated milk.

We had a fabulous high tea at the Savoy fir my 70 th. I wasn’t sure what to expect but instead of the usual sandwiches it was a hot savoury meal ( salmon) followed by cakes and patisserie, a day to remember.

I grew up in the south with Scottish parents and we had high tea on Sundays, after the lunchtime roast dinner. High tea was a light meal such as egg on toast, followed by cake and/or jelly or tinned fruit.
I've seen it in restaurants in Scotland, but not elsewhere. My Scottish relatives always offered this as a meal when we visited, unless it was just an evening visit, when it would be supper with cakes, scones and possibly sandwiches, like afternoon tea.

We often had high tea when I was a child. Usually on a Sunday afternoon. I remember summer Sundays. Roll mop herrings and salad with home made dressing and bread and butter. This was followed by scones, cakes and a pot of tea.

As children (in Scotland) we had "tea" with our parents between 5-6 pm while listening to Children's Hour on the BBC Home Service. The main course varied between omelette, salad, mince 'n' tatties, fish fingers etc followed by tinned fruit, steamed pudding, Angel Delight... As if that wasn't enough we could carbo load on biscuits and cake. All washed down with Brooke Bond's finest. Our cats jostled for a warm place on top of the radio next to the table. Not to be left out long, furry arms would reach over to try and hook a titbit from someone's plate.

Dinner was our midday meal. Supper was a drink and biscuit at bedtime.

Yes High Tea is a hot meal (or salad) as a main course with scones and cakes etc afterwards. Washed down with cups of tea. Lovely. Haven't had one for years though.
I agree that those fancy afternoon teas currently served at extortionate prices are not high tea! I think it's Americans misunderstanding.

It’s still quite popular in hotels in Scottish touristy spots. It’s often fish and chips, sausage, egg and chips, steak pie with potatoes or chips, gammon steak, or ham salad, served with bread or toast, then scones and/or cake. It’s usually served about 4.30 onwards, and you don’t have dinner later ( unless you are a serious scoffer!)

I loved high tea when my DC were small. Where I’ve lived in Scotland, it always came with bread and butter too. We’d take the DC out for HT on a Saturday, then home, watch a bit of tv and off to bed with them!

I’ve never really thought of its origins but Maw’s explanation sounds perfect.

Yes, high tea has always been a popular thing here in Scotland. I've noticed more places starting to offer it again now, so it there must be a demand for it.