How to plan the perfect afternoon tea at home

Spring is the perfect time of year for planning an afternoon tea at home. From garden party baby showers to birthday celebrations, Niki Webster of Rebel Recipes share’s her expert advice for hosting a beautiful treat for your loved ones.

Keeping Things Fresh  

One of the best things to do is to make elements ahead and store them in airtight containers. That way not only will you be ahead on the prep and planning – you’ll also keep everything really fresh. So for example, you can make the cake ahead of time but don’t fill it until the last minute, the same goes with sandwiches and fillings. Fill right at the end and add any fresh leaves or fruit right before serving.

How to Organise Without Stress

Of course, it’s all about planning ahead to take the stress out of the day.  Firstly devise a menu and ingredients list of the ingredients you don’t already have at home. Do this a few days before in case you can’t get what you need and need to shop again.

Then I would advise arranging the elements in your fridge so it’s clear to see what you have – so all dips in containers on a shelf, cakes made and in tins, fresh elements prepped and in containers. To take the stress out of a more complex menu I would suggest making and breaking it down into elements stages. Sandwich and cake fillings can be made the day before and stored. Then make the cakes in the morning and fresh salads just before the afternoon tea.

Budget Planning

Firstly assess what you can use and utilize from the current ingredients you have in the house and look to incorporate any fresh produce which needs using up – you can adapt recipes slightly if needed. It’s a good idea to base recipes on store cupboard ingredients and then buy in fresh ingredients like fruits, greens and bread at the last minute

Setting the Scene

To really make a beautiful afternoon tea it’s so important to set the scene. Why not get inspiration on Pinterest and set up a board of what inspires you and things your Mum loves. Look at the plates and accessories you have and how can you use them to create a scene and mood/ You can add little extras to create a whole new look like coloured napkins, a table cloth etc. To make things beautiful on the food side – add pretty herbs and fruit garnishes.

Afternoon Tea Party Decorations we love, that are both practical and look great:

Catering to Everyone / Recipes Ideas

It’s best to ask about allergies and food preferences well beforehand so you can pre-plan. Include plenty of plant-based and some gluten-free options then you’ll know most people can eat them and also make sure you know what peoples favourites are.

Think about the afternoon tea like catering – make large sheet cakes, one pan tarts, large salad bowls, dip platters etc and then divide into mini portions. Add a variety of natural sweetners such as Linden Honey for adding to scones and tea.

4 recipes recommended by Niki Webster of Rebel Recipes:

For a stress free afternoon tea party, you could also opt for a ready made hamper delivery or click and collect from a local cafe or restaurant.