High Tea

MawtheMerrier

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!

No you are not in a minority Maw we had high tea in Cumberland when I was young. You had a hot meal such as gammon or Cumberland sausage or fish with usually chips and a variety of vegetables. All served with bread and butter and a pot of tea, then out came the scones and [Fancies] cakes always currant cake and gingerbread,, vanilla slices etc. and if you were lucky a pot of rum butter.
People would pass the names on of good places I can remember going on the train to Keswick and on the train down the Coast to St.Bees and Ravenglass.
Now they seem to be mainly north of the Border, unfortunately.

I know that I’ll be repeating others here, but what the heck.
High tea and afternoon tea are different things.
High tea was the children’s evening meal served by the nanny in the nursery.
What’s known by certain folk as ‘nursery food’; eggy bread and so on. I’m sure that Smug will have referred to it on more than one occasion. Bless.
Afternoon tea is for the adults with all the faffing about with cake stands and cucumber etc.
To tide them over between kedgeree and a five course supper.

As a child we often had high tea which was usually something like poached egg or cheese on toast followed by cake and we were in the South of England. My father used to refer to it as 'high tea diddly i-tea'!

I was frequently taken out for high tea on a Sunday as a treat when at school. I am Scottish, from Fife.

I remember having high tea as a child, at a restaurant in town with my parents before going on to the theatre. That was in the 50s in Scotland, always thought of it as a special treat. Back then it wasn’t possible to dine out 24/7.

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.

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.

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!)

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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!

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

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

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

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 !!!!

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

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!

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

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.

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

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