HISTORY OF AFTERNOON TEA

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Afternoon tea was introduced during the early nineteenth century and it is around this time that Anna,  7th Duchess of Bedford is said to have complained of "having that sinking feeling" during the late afternoon. At the time it was usual for people to take only two main meals a day, breakfast, and dinner at around 8 o'clock in the evening. The solution for the Duchess was a pot a tea and a light snack, taken privately in her boudoir during the afternoon.

Later friends were invited to join her in her rooms at Woburn Abbey and this summer pastime proved so popular that the Duchess continued it when she returned to London. Other social hostesses quickly picked up on the idea and the practice of sipping tea and nibbling sandwiches in the middle of the afternoon was here to stay.