Planning an Elegant Afternoon Tea in Your Kitchen: A Step-by-Step Guide

A tea party is the perfect way to gather your friends and family for a fun morning or afternoon full of delightful drinks, fun teatime snacks, and sweet treats. In fact, it’s probably a lot easier to host a tea party than you think; not only are typical teatime dishes easier to prepare than a large brunch or dinner, but there are so many ways you can streamline the process by preparing your party in advance, too. If you’re starting to see tables full of teacups in your future, then there are a few things you should know about hosting a tea party to ensure everything goes smoothly.

We spoke to tea party expert, Chef Joseph L. Paire III, the Executive Chef at The Claremont Resort & Club, to get a better idea of everything you need to know before you host your own tea party. Paire spilled the tea on how you can plan your menu in advance, what dishes you should serve, and even what themes you might want to try out with your guests. Don’t worry, you don’t even need to know the 12 etiquette rules to enjoy afternoon tea like a royal to throw your own party (though it certainly can be fancy and luxurious if you want it to be). No matter the type of tea party you’re looking to host, these tips will help you make it run so smoothly, you and your guests will want to enjoy a few cups of tea together again and again.

If you want your tea party to run smoothly day-of, planning ahead is a must. Chef Joseph Paire emphasizes the importance of preparing ahead of time; you might want to think days or even weeks ahead when it comes to planning your menu and setting up a theme. You should plan a menu in advance, so that you have plenty of time to source each item; think about where you’ll be getting your teas from, what nonperishables you can purchase and prepare ahead of time, and don’t forget to consider any dishes that you can make a day in advance to save yourself some prep work, too. 

In order to plan effectively, you’ll want to run through how the day of the party should look in your ahead, and think about the schedule you’ll need to follow in order to get everything done. How many dishes will you need, and how will you serve your food? Do your teacups need to be cleaned and prepared? Can you decorate your space a day or two ahead of time? Consider what time your guests will be arriving, and work your way back from there to plan a thorough schedule of how everything will get done the day of. Whenever possible, leave nothing to chance.

While you might think a tea party should be focused on just one type of tea, it’s actually best to have multiple tea options to choose from, according to Chef Joseph Paire. “I always recommend various teas to suit your guests’ needs,” says Paire, “something decaf, a fruit tea, white tea, and black tea tend to work best.” To mix things up a little more, you could also look for teas that are very different in flavor profile from one another. For example, you could look for a very fruity and floral fruit tea, a strong and rich black tea, and a sweet white tea; this way, your guests will have a wide range of flavors to try. You could also add a flavor option that’s a little more exciting or unusual for your guests to sample; for example, chocolate or butterscotch flavored tea can be an interesting experience for new tea-drinkers, or you could even opt for one of the 10 unique tea flavors from around the world. 

One thing to keep in mind is that, though you may not think of tea as being a caffeinated beverage, many kinds of tea do contain some caffeine. Looking for a tea that is specifically labeled “decaffeinated” is your best bet to ensure you can serve your guests a truly caffeine-free option.

Planning a tea party menu can be a lot of fun — but don’t get too carried away when you’re focused on the flavors of your food. “Think of light flavors to complement your teas,” says Chef Joseph Paire. “… avoid overly bold items that will … clash with the tea,” he adds. You’ll likely have tea flavors that range from bold to very mild; choosing food that has loud flavors that could overpower the delicate notes of your tea will defeat the point of your tea party. That’s why traditional teatime meals — such as English tea sandwiches, for example — are often very light, with subtle flavors. You don’t need your food to be entirely devoid of flavor, but steering clear of anything with too much spice or salt is probably for the best. Cheeses, jams, lunch meats, light salads, and simple sandwiches are a few teatime classics that aren’t overwhelming. 

When you’re planning out your tea party menu, feel free to be creative, but remember that the focus is never on the food. You might want to stay away from dishes with complex flavors, and even dishes that are overly sweet could prevent you from tasting the finer notes in your cup of tea. 

So, when you’re trying to plan out the perfect food menu that won’t overwhelm your tea, what items should you serve? Chef Joseph Paire points out a few classics. For food, Paire says that biscuits and scones are a must-have classic. Not only are these fun sweet treats to serve at a party, but they also allow you a little room for experimentation without being too strong. For example, you could easily pair a summery strawberry scone with a fruity, floral tea, or opt for a buttery, sweet tea biscuit to complement an herby white tea. 

Next, you should also offer sweeteners with your tea, according to Paire. A few ideas include white and brown sugar, alternative sugars or sweeteners, and honey. You might also want to offer your guests cream or milk with their tea. Don’t forget to consider having nondairy milks or creamers on hand, too.

Lastly, to pair with your sweets, Paire says that preserves should always be on the table. A sweet fruit preserve is a great way to customize a classic English scone or biscuit, and offering a small selection of flavors can help guests pair their food with their tea. Paire also recommends Devonshire cream: a clotted cream that is often served with scones.

Tea parties aren’t all about sweets — you should also keep in mind the savory dishes that pair well with tea. Chef Joseph Paire recommends foods that can hold their shape well. Specifically, he points out that quiches and wraps are good dishes to be prepared ahead of time; these foods will keep well in the fridge and can be sliced and served to guests with ease. These foods are also neat and easy to eat. As another little bonus, you might just be able to find these foods pre-made in a grocery store near you, to help you save even more time.

You could also consider handheld items like tea sandwiches, which are a traditional pairing with English teas, for your guests; these can be prepared the day of, and are often very simple to make — especially if you know the 14 tips you need when making tea sandwiches. For example, a few traditional sandwiches include cucumber and cream cheese or ham and mustard — it doesn’t get much more straightforward (and budget-friendly) than that.

The menu planning isn’t over until you know exactly how each dish will be served. Chef Joseph Paire recommends including plateware, linens, and serving utensils on the list of items to consider before you head to the grocery store. You’ll need to give each of your guests a small or medium plate they can eat off of, while the menu itself should be served off of a variety of trays and platters. Don’t forget about a teacup and saucer for each guest, too — if you’re planning on sampling multiple teas, you might want to have spare cups at the ready. Teaspoons will be required for each guest, as well as serving dishes for the condiments you’re offering guests (both for their food and their tea). Of course, you’ll also need typical dinnerware utensils like forks, spoons, knives, and napkins. Teapots and tea kettles are also handy for quickly boiling water and serving up cups of piping hot tea.

There are a few extra tips you need to brew the perfect cup of tea for your guests. To serve each guest quickly, steeping your tea in a teapot is simple and efficient. However, this will require you to have multiple teapots on hand if you’re offering a variety of teas. You can also offer your guests the option to steep tea themselves, by giving them prepared bags of tea or by giving them looseleaf tea. The latter will require you to have a variety of tea baskets or balls for each guest to use.

A tea party doesn’t have to be a fancy affair if you don’t want it to be. “Style the tea to fit the vibe and energy you want your guests to experience,” says Chef Joseph Paire. Tea parties should be fun for everyone involved, including yourself. Use your theme to express the type of experience you want your guests to have. To think of a fun theme, you could first look to your space; if you want to host your party outdoors, a garden-themed tea party could be an exciting option. If you’ve got an herb garden, you could try throwing together an experimental brew yourself. You could also use your tea party to celebrate the season; a summer picnic tea party, a winter ball tea party, an autumn tea party with seasonally-inspired dishes. 

Also consider the guest list you’re hoping to have and what types of themes would be most exciting for them, too. If you’ve got a group of friends who love dressing up, feel free to host a tea party as an excuse for everyone to pull out their formalwear. A tea party can also be a simple morning gathering with family; keep things casual by using dishes and decorations you already have on hand, including serving platters, decorative bowls or vases, and linens.

When you’re hosting a tea party, there are actually a few different options you can choose from in terms of timing. Chef Joseph Paire typically hosts tea at 11 a.m. He says that he tends to treat teatime as a sort of brunch — the perfect way to enjoy a variety of sweet scones and biscuits. This is also a great option for hosting a holiday-related tea party. Often, traditional teatime in England also falls right around 4 p.m. Essentially, you want to try to host your tea party at a time that isn’t a typical mealtime. Tea is not treated as a replacement for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, but rather something that is enjoyed in between.

If you’re hoping to host an English-inspired High Tea, then you’d be looking more at a dinner-style tea party, in which your main meal would be served alongside a selection of teas. In this case, you would want to plan your tea party around the same time you would normally host a dinner party. No matter what tea party you’re throwing, however, one important consideration is your own schedule and the time you have to prepare your dishes. Tea parties that happen in the morning might require you to prepare more the day in advance, whereas an evening tea party can give you a little extra breathing room in terms of preparation.

Understanding how your tea party drinks and meals should be served is extremely important when you’re hosting. “Tea is served alongside the food,” says Chef Joseph Paire. Unlike a typical dinner party, where you’d often see drinks served before the food, the goal of a tea party is to enjoy your food with your tea. As a host, this means you’ll need to have things neatly planned out in order to ensure you can get everything on the table at once. According to Paire, you’ll put your tea out on the table first; it needs time to steep in front of your guests before they start drinking it. Then, you can place your trays of food out on the table for guests to choose from. By this point, the teas should be finished steeping, and you and your guests can enjoy your meal. 

Don’t forget to account for the fact that different kinds of teas will have different steeping times; you may want to consider utilizing physical timers to ensure each tea is steeped properly. You should also introduce the teas to your guests before they make their selections. Have a good description of the flavor notes in each tea prepared, as well as the caffeine content, so that guests know what they’re choosing between. 

Chef Joseph Paire emphasizes the importance of preparing your tea party in advance. This extends beyond preparing the menu and the food ahead of time. In order to streamline your tea party process effectively, you should have everything in order by the time your guests arrive, so that you can put it on the table as soon as everyone is gathered together. The goal of a tea party is, of course, for you to also be able to enjoy the tea and the food you’ve made with your guests; it’s not quite the same if you’re still busy in the kitchen while everyone else is mingling. 

You can prepare in advance by ensuring all of your dishes are made and plated on trays before your guests arrive, so that they will be ready to take to the table as soon as everyone is seated. Store perishable items in the fridge, but have them arranged on serving dishes beforehand. Before the party begins or right when guests start showing up is also when you can get your tea water ready; use a thermometer to ensure that you have the right water temperature for each tea you want to serve. When you prepare your tea party properly, you’ll only need to bring a few items to the table before you and your guests will be able to start eating and drinking together.

“It’s not a stuffy affair,” says Chef Joseph Paire when discussing tea parties. “Make it fun and memorable, and add a twist.” While it’s certainly exciting to throw a fancy, formal tea party, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to your tea party planning; don’t be afraid to be creative. For example, Paire recommends throwing a dinner tea party, and adding a unique spin by creating tea-infused cocktails to pair with the dishes you serve. You could utilize herbs and citruses for interesting tea toppings, host a potluck-style tea party where guests bring their own favorite flavors to share, or opt for a post-dinner tea party that’s designed to pair perfectly with dessert. 

These alternatives can be especially fun if you and your guests haven’t been to a tea party before; what better way to warm everyone up to the idea of a tea tasting than with tea cocktails? Whether you opt for an unusual tea party theme or decide to spruce up the drinks you serve, traditional afternoon tea isn’t the only tea party option you have — and adding a unique spin to your party will make it that much more memorable for you and your guests.