The tradition of Afternoon Tea was born in London in the mid 1800’s. A friend of Queen Victoria, the 7th Duchess of Bedford introduced the idea to fashionable London. Its popularity spread among Victorian society, with the Queen herself taking part in the ritual, and ladies outdoing each other with ever fancier ingredients.
By the turn of the century Afternoon Tea had become an art, the etiquette involved observing various rules such as how tea should be served; one cup poured and served at a time, stirring the tea back and forth rather than in a circle, placing the spoon lengthways on the back of the saucer, scones twisted delicately in half along the middle and not cut with a knife, and the little finger never extended whilst holding a delicate china tea-cup.
Afternoon tea today is a more relaxed but no less refined affair. It has become a treasured part of each day at The Landmark London, an indulgence and luxurious refreshment. We consider it an art and have perfected the recipe to bring the best ingredients, skilfully presented, whilst honouring all of those wonderful traditions.