The Difference Between Afternoon Tea, High and Low Tea

As a child, visiting my grandmother was always a treat. Usually arriving for lunch, we would eat as much as we could, knowing that we wouldn’t get fed again until afternoon tea time which was strictly 3.30 pm. That is a long time to wait for a child! But it was well worth the wait (as grandmother well knew).

Tea was brought into the living room and served on a low table. Plates of scones with jam and whipped cream, cupcakes and cookies were all set out. She had worked hard! It was all properly done with a full tea service set. This is where my love for tea cups and teapots began. It was fascinating to see grandmother’s array of tea cups and teapots and the beautiful florals that adorned them.

This experience of afternoon tea is synonymous with ‘low tea.’ ‘Low’ referring to the fact it was served on a low table and at early to mid afternoon.

The origin of low tea in England is attributed to Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford in the early 1800’s. It was common for the upper classes to dine late in the evening around 8 pm, so it was a long time from the midday meal until then. Anna, experiencing that ‘sinking feeling’ that comes from mid-afternoon hunger, decided to be served with a light snack to carry her through the afternoon.

Not wanting to spend this time alone, she quickly invited friends to join her and so began the tradition of afternoon tea. When she moved to London, she continued the practice, and the trend soon caught on. Tea was served at around 4 pm, just before the fashionable Hyde Park promenade, which made it a highly social event.

The term ‘high tea’ has some ambiguity attached to it. Originally it was the tea time taken later in the day by the working class upon the arrival home from work, at around 5–6pm, since they did not have the luxury to stop at mid-afternoon. Virtually a main meal, it was the equivalent to what most of us would term ‘dinner’ and included meat and vegetables.

In modern times high tea has become synonymous with afternoon tea, with the word ‘high’ being associated with high or gracious society and formality. With mostly indulgent fare such as cakes, scones, small sandwiches and the like served with delicate tea ware, it is considered to be somewhat of a luxury to stop, sit and sip and take in light conversation.

Whatever way you look at it, high or low tea, let’s just settle for afternoon tea, shall we? It’s a great excuse to use that gorgeous new tea service set and get together with friends. That’s the wonderful thing about afternoon tea, isn’t it, he time it takes to brew the tea and sip it from delicate tea cups is the time we need to invest in friendships and make memories.

The combination of tea and time has a calming and civilizing effect on us and has contributed to the better of our sensibilities and advancement of culture. As long as tea is around, we will take time. Time to sup, time to converse and time to sooth.