Tea parties, they conjure up feelings of nostalgia – elegance, fine food and friends.

Why isn’t it something we do these days…

          

I think it’s a great way to catch up with a few close friends for a timeless tradition.

It can be as formal or informal as you wish. For those of you that are creative, you may like to adopt a particular theme.
Themes for tea parties are endless!

These are my favourites –

Mad Hatters Tea Party – Everyone wears a hat, they can either wear a hat they have at home or they can make one to match the theme. You can even swap hats during the day and take on different personas. You may also like to pass around the hat to collect donations for a worthy charity.

Aussie Tea Party – Consider serving Billy tea with lamingtons and party pies. Weather permitting, set up outside and invite guests to wear their favourite thongs –  we are talking footwear here!

Colour and flavour - everything, from invitations, tablecloths, flowers, centerpieces, cakes, scones, jam and the tea itself is one colour.  Colours and flavours can include apricot, lemon, lavender, rose, strawberries, orange, blackberries and blueberries.

Asian Tea Party - tea is a popular beverage found all over the globe, and is traditionally enjoyed by Asian countries. Why not serve Indian Chai with samosas, green tea with Japanese rice cakes and jasmine tea with dim sims.

British Tea Party -  the Brits have been enjoying high tea for centuries, perhaps you could include english breakfast tea with crust-less cucumber sandwiches and slices of sponge cake.

Decorate
I love fresh flowers and candles. I also love drinking tea from beautiful china tea sets. If you don’t have a tea set, why not ask a few friends to help out with the crockery and get them to bring along an interesting tea pot.
You may also like to place a few nostalgic, framed photos of your invited guests in around the room (be sure to include comments about the occasion).

Tea
There are so many wonderful, therapeutic and aromatic teas these days.
You may consider trying a number of different varieties of loose leaf tea and label them so that your guests can discuss the different flavours.
I enjoy black tea with lemon, however, many people still enjoy adding milk and sugar to their cuppa. It may be helpful to have skim and full cream milk available to suit all tastes. You may also to choose to serve sugar cubes as a novelty and don’t forget the artificial sweeteners.

Bites
I really enjoy the art of food presentation. For me, it’s really the fun part of entertaining (except for the eating). I rummage the cupboard for fancy plates and platters and I dig out the doilies that I haven’t seen for a number of years. I am delighted when I find a couple of tiered cake stands hiding in the back of the cupboard (I love that they are back in vogue). I place small sandwiches, such as egg, cucumber and cream cheese, curried egg, smoked salmon or shaved rare beef and mustard sandwiches. To serve, I layer the filling between two slices of bread and cut them into fourths. I place them on the top tier.  On the middle tier, I place cup cakes with various coloured icing and mini muffins or briands and Portuguese tarts (oh yum). On the lower tier, I place fresh scones with sliced strawberries and cream. I stare at the scones and cream - memories of my childhood comes rushing back. I’m 8 years old and I’m sitting in the kitchen of my grandmother’s terrace home and we are piling the cream on the warm, freshly made scones. For good measure I also sprinkle a teaspoon of sugar on top! We used to talk for hours over my Nan’s afternoon teas. Those were the days…

If you are a really busy person or enjoy the novelty of sharing ideas, why not have your guests bring their favorite cakes or slices and provide the recipe to share with others.

Celebrate
It’s easy (for me) to find something to celebrate, the end of the working week, friendships, a good haircut, sticking to an exercise routine, cleaning out the sock drawer…. If you want to celebrate a special occasion, you may wish to offer a glass or two of pink sparkling wine to your guests to share a toast. Just be mindful of the drivers!

Party Favours - Consider giving party favours to your guests when leaving, such as special loose leaf teas packed in an organza drawstring sachets or recipes that you have chosen for the tea party – these could be written on coloured paper and bound with ribbon. Or, maybe a cup cake with the guest’s name or initials inscribed with icing.

Capture Memories - Take photographs of the group and individuals, it will be a lasting keepsake to share or treasure for many years to come.

Party Mode - Get the party going with a couple of (good) jokes written out for guests to read. You may also like to instigate a few stories or anecdotes from the past (try not to embarrass you guests too much).

Perhaps, set the mood with nostalgic background music. Every time I play records form the 60’s and 70’s my mates just can’t help but dance. The music also conjours up wonderful memories.

Above all, strive to have a relaxed and fun filled day.

HINTS –
How to make the perfect cuppa –

As I’ve already said, I love my tea. Through trial and error, I’ve found that no matter what tea you have, if it’s brewed wrong it will taste bad. The following are my tips on making the perfect cup of tea.
A warm cup helps to keep your tea hotter for longer (My Nan taught me that one).

The Water – the temperature of the water that you use to brew your tea is very important. Teas like White tea and Green Tea are very fragile and boiling water will burn the leaf giving an inferior flavour.
These teas are best brewed with water just off the boil. Black teas and Herbal Infusions are hardier and prefer boiling water.
For the ultimate cup of tea it is best to use spring or mineral water. Tap water is best avoided as the quality may sometimes compromise the taste (you should taste my tap water…. On second thoughts maybe you shouldn’t).
Time – the amount of time you infuse your tea is a critical part of the process. If you infuse for too long then you have a bitter cup of tea, not long enough and it’s too weak.
Black tea – should be infused for 3-5 minutes, depending on how strong the individual likes their tea.
Green tea – should only be infused for about 3 minutes. Care should be taken here as any longer and you will have a very bitter cup of tea. (I like my green tea to have more Jasmine flavours in it).
White tea and Herbal Infusions – are hardier and can be brewed for 5-8 minutes. If you haven’t tried white tea give it a go and let me know what you think of the taste.

The Right Teapot

This, my friends is crucial! Rinse your Tea Pot out first with hot water. This warming of the tea pot helps to keep your tea hotter for longer (my Dad taught me that). And just where did I put that Tea Cosy?
The tea – one for the cup and one for the pot. This sometimes various will herbal teas therefore follow instructs on the packet for best results. I like my tea medium strength.
For Cake Recipes for your afternoon tea – check out our Recipes in the  Food/Wining/Dining section –  Definitely worth a look!!!