Thinking Of Throwing A Tea Party?
If you want to host an afternoon social occasion but don’t want to make a lunch can’t find reason enough to throw a full blown party, why not try a tea-party?
Obviously you could just invite your friends around and brew some tea but if you want to go the extra mile why not consider these tips;
Think about when you want to host it, depending on the time of year it might be better to host the party at different times of the day, for example at Christmas time people will want to catch up after time apart and might spend all evening chatting away, in this case get some finger foods at the ready. A tea party would traditionally be between 10am and 4pm otherwise you are pretty much having people for breakfast or dinner!
Think about the size of group you are inviting, if you want an intimate atmosphere, keep to around 8 but any more than that any you will need to consider larger quantities of food and possibly a buffet. A large group almost defeats the object of a tea party.
Depending on the time of the year you don’t have to hold a party indoors, you could easily hold it in the garden or on a terrace in the summer, alternatively in a park or on a beach if you want to be unconventional, but just remember that you will have to find some way to heat the tea.
It is nice to have a bite to eat with tea but unless you are organising a luncheon try to keep it finger food. Pastries and scones compliment tea nicely; cakes and deserts are even nicer but be careful not to eat too much.
Obviously the tea itself is an important part of the party but try and avoid brewing one single pot of unusual tea, not everyone enjoys a mint herbal ginseng blend. Simple tea is the safest option but it is nice to provide alternatives. The tea is best served out of a teapot so make sure you have one of these and some nice cups and saucers to match. A bowl of sugar and jug of milk could be handy too.
The best cups and saucers to take are delicate ceramic rather than pointless cold cups or paper cups.
