A Brief History of the Afternoon Tea
By the late 1830s - early 1840s afternoon tea was evolving to become a social occasion. In this time period, it was usual to have a long gap between the relatively light 'luncheon' at midday and dinner time. So long in fact, that Queen Victoria requested for light sandwiches, tea and cake to be served in the late afternoon to prevent the 'sinking feeling' she had between meals.
The Belfry embraces the royal history of afternoon tea with distinguished Royal Crown Derby China. In 1775 King George III recognised the uniqueness of Derby porcelain when he granted the factory the rare honour of being able to incorporate a crown into the back stamp. Much later, in 1890, Queen Victoria awarded the royal warrant and granted the title "The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company".
Due to Queen Victoria’s close connections with the birth of afternoon tea, nothing could be more fitting than the use of Royal Crown Derby China for the traditional Brabazon Bar Afternoon Tea experience.
Afternoon Tea at The Brabazon Bar
Created by our award winning pastry chef Dean Cole and his team, the Brabazon Bar Afternoon Tea offers a traditional selection of finger sandwiches served on a tiered stand, alongside an assortment of beautifully crafted cakes and warm scones baked daily by our talented culinary team; served of course with West Country clotted cream and Tiptree strawberry jam (est. 1885).
Our expert bar team will be on hand to help you select a tea from our Quinteassential menu, a range of unique blends created by Bernadine Tay, a trained tea sommelier and founding member of the European Tea Society. From our more traditional Belfry blend with a twist, to the Brabazon blend, a herbaceous tea using juniper berries to evoke the flavour of gin; the Quinteassential menu offers over a dozen dynamic flavours that will suit any palette.
This specially curated afternoon tea is the perfect way to celebrate any special occasion; why not add a glass of champagne for £11.85 to sip whilst enjoying the elegant ambiance of the Brabazon bar.