Tea at 4pm. Is this a meal or a scone and cuppa?

Perfectly reasonable question to ask. Most of us would be perplexed. Comforting answers as always!!

Hetty. Maybe there was no vegan option because they knew there were no vegans going. I presume they would have catered for vegans had they invited any. My DDs FiL is vegetarian . Whenever there is a family gathering everyone takes something to add to the table except for DDs inlaws. He always says very pointedly " which is vegetarian ?". There always is something, but more because they are things we like rather than because he is a veggie. It does annoy my DD that she is expected to cater to him when they don't even bring anything.

Ah yes Hetty there was no vegan option but plenty for a vegetarian.

No vegan option? I have to take my own quite often - otherwise I'd only have salad - and I'm not a rabbit!

Grammaretto, what - no tea? Tea without tea? I'd just have to have tea as I don't like alcohol!

BlueBalou, how do you survive (nothing after tea)? I have breakfast, elevenses, lunch, tea, dinner - and sometimes supper too - although I deprive myself of the midnight snack. I get a migraine if I starve myself.

Sounds excellent! 👏

Prosecco! Aren't you the lucky lady.

Sounds lovely. Hope the company was as good as the catering!

Well I'm just home and it was wonderful.
It began with prosecco about 4pm.
The buffet was lovely home made quiches, smoked salmon, ham and about 4 salads. Wine and beer. Juice for the children.
3 cakes at least and more wine.
I wasn't once offered tea!
Though I'm sure I could have asked.
It was an early birthday party because they are on holiday soon.

I'm still confused about "tea" afternoon or high.

"panes" not "pains" though it was a 'pain' as she never tired of telling us...

My mum, a Scot, regularly enjoyed telling the story of being invited - while moving into a brand new Naval "Married Quarter - by a neighbour 'for tea' at 6pm. Consequently she worked through the day unpacking everything and wrestling wrappings off all the new furniture, making up beds, hanging curtains, getting paint off window pains etc etc.... and did no shopping..... When she presented herself for 'tea'... she was poured a cup..... Tea for us was an evening meal.... Fortunately my dad was on draft and I was with grandparents. No late night shopping in those days.

As it's described as a buffet, I'd be expecting traditional afternoon tea type things at 4 - sandwiches, quiche, sausage rolls, fancy cakes, scones & that sort of thing. On a run of the mill day here, 4pm is known as cake time - a slice of cake and a cup of coffee to keep body & soul together until dinner at 7.30.

We are fond of a 'tunch' - a combination of late lunch & tea - which is ideal for those who like a latish breakfast and something to line the tummy round about 4pm. Something savoury and hot (small quiche is ideal) and something sweet like scones, jam and clotted cream. Or cake. Or cake as well.

Could be tea, cakes, sandwiches, sausage rolls, quiche, sausages, egg with chips! Never heard the expression. Yoh must tell us what it turns out to be. Enjoy!

When I was a child, high tea at 6 o'clock was the last meal of the day for children. It consisted of a small helping of cold meat or fish, with bread and butter, or maybe baked beans on toast, followed by plain cake and either tinned or fresh fruit.
On Sundays our father would eat it with us, as our mother would not be cooking dinner for the two of them, having prepared Sunday lunch earlier.
And until our children were about eight, that was the pattern DH and I followed too. We liked to be together after the children were in bed. But our grandchildren have an early main meal with their parents at about 6.30.

There’s so much ambiguity about “Tea” or “High Tea”… I’ve never really understood what it all entails. Quite a high arch. All I know is it includes light to heavier food offerings, along with liquor.

Four o’clock means dinner/supper time for me - my last meal of the day. I nibble/snack later if I’m still hungry.

I’ve always suspected “Tea” has been the English excuse to start drinking earlier.

Written by someone who lunches with friends at a restaurant and orders wine.
Cheers!
USA Gundy

That's too restrictive in my book arum
There comes a point in your life when you realise it's not all about self deprivation. Enjoy life and eat what you want while you can.

A cup of tea and a big slice of cake for me, please.

Tea at 4pm is usually referred to as afternoon tea consisting of light fare such as small sandwiches (no crusts), small savouries, cake and other sweet fare with cups of tea.
High tea is a substancialcooked hot meal usually consisting of meat and veg or similar usually served between 5pm & 7pm after a hard days work.

I’d be expecting afternoon tea with cake sandwiches and prosecco….. but maybe that’s just me and my friends…..anytime after midday is prosecco time 😂🥂

Esmay

I think that afternoon tea was created by a Lady , who thought that the gap between lunch and supper /dinner was far too long .

Afternoon tea is a big tradition in my family .

Usually -
we have little sandwiches (
yes cucumber ! ) , cake , scones and if it's more of an occasion ( birthday , christening or a hen party ) savouries such as mini sausage rolls ,vol au vents and quiche .

Recently , we've served coffee as some people prefer it .
And lately , Cava Prosecco and Champagne has been requested too !

At the very least -shop bought cakes are okay .

If it's a grand occasion then it's home or especially baked cakes .

If we are having an early supper then afternoon tea becomes a cup of tea with a biscuit or two .

Whatever you have - it's sheer bliss and a welcome break in the day !

I believe the English afternoon tea preceded lunch in the scheme of things, as it came in during the Regency period, where the well-off stratum of society, who could afford to drink heavily taxed tea, ate breakfast at somewhere around 10. a.m. even if they had been up for three or four hours by then, and dinner at 4 p.m in the country and 6 p.m. in London, during the Season.

Afternoon tea bridged the gap between breakfast and dinner.

When luncheon became fashionable sometime during Victoria's lengthy reign, afternoon tea was retained because dinner had by then in affluent circles moved to 7 or 8 p m.

In Scotland, high tea was served as a meal after 5 p.m. or whenever the working day ended - dinner having been eaten at midday. Afternoon tea, if served at all, usually only when there were visitors, was a matter of tea, scones and cake.

If supper was served, in many households it was not, it consisted amongst the elder generation in my childhood either of a bowl of soup or even of porridge, taken by the fireside, not at a table, or a piece of bread and cheese. Scottish people disbelieved the common English idea that cheese before bedtime gave you nightmares.

In Denmark in my experience "natmad" is only served at large parties or formal functions, as a hint to the visitors that it is time to leave. Formerly, in the days of horse drawn vehicles, something warm before going home was considered a neccesity. There may, of course, be families who alway eat something before bedtime, but I have never met any that did, except at parties, or after coming home from a theatre or concert, which neccesitated eating dinner earlier than usual, or even not at all.

Dainty sandwiches and several types of cake and scones with a cup of tea is what I would expect. Maybe sausage rolls as well.
A small posy of flowers as a gift for the host.

For me a kind of high tea / not a cooked meal, but if she’s a friend why not just check ?? Xx

Even though it mentions buffet I think it still means sandwiches, cakes, perhaps scones and maybe also vol au vents and things like sausage rolls. To me that’s as good as a full meal. I went out for afternoon tea yesterday and was stuffed!

"Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper".
That has changed . . . now it is eat 2 meals a day within an 8 hour time frame, and nothing in the other 16 hours. Intermittent fasting.