How to Host the Perfect Afternoon Tea - The Veggie Way

Create your own. If you love a delicious cream tea but are looking for a vegetarian twist, here’s our take on hosting the perfect afternoon tea - the veggie way!

Whilst we’ve firmly adopted the American style brunch (and made it our own), nothing could be more British than a proper afternoon tea. If you love a delicious cream tea, delight in elegant finger sandwiches and cake, and get pleasure in sipping Earl Grey from fancy china, but are looking for a vegetarian twist, here’s our take on hosting the perfect afternoon tea - the veggie way!

Laid-Back Style

They say it’s not what you do, it’s the way that you do it and afternoon tea is all about appearance. Afternoon tea is a treat for all the senses, so start with how everything looks. From simple elegance to floral and kitsch style.

First up, your china. If it’s crisp and white, why not bring in floral elements and dress it up and if it’s all flowers and patterns then why not enhance it? As they say, more is... well, more!

Afternoon Tea Teaware Checklist

Here’s a little checklist

Table cloth
Napkins
Cups and saucers
Teaspoons

Cake plates
Cake forks
Teapot!
Milk jug

Sugar pot
Floral arrangements

Top tip! Local charity shops and car boot sales are the perfect place to hunt out mix and match vintage china.

Sweet Vs Savoury

Knowing what to serve for a veggie or even vegan afternoon tea is key. The first port of call is the milk! With so many different choices there's milk to suit all taste buds, from oat and soya to almond and rice milk. Much like how everyone has a preference for how they take their tea, each type of dairy-free milk adds a unique flavour to a classic brew.

Whether you opt for dainty finger sandwiches or a heartier take on afternoon tea, you’ll want to ensure there’s plenty of vegetarian options. From smokey egg and spinach to hummus salad and avocado, tomato and coriander, it’s a fresh take on the more traditional ‘cucumber’ sandwich, that’s for sure! Or why not swap the finger sandwiches altogether for a contemporary open sandwich?! Like these wholesome Avocado on Sourdough beauties?

From the savoury to the sweet, segue to the scones and treats with these tart and fruity vegan Earl Grey jellies; the perfect palate cleanser.

Don't Forget the (Vegan) Cream

No afternoon tea is complete without the all-important scones and cream and the cashew cream on these vegan vanilla cupcakes makes a gorgeous vegan alternative for those tea-time essentials. But whether you eat your scones the Cornish way (jam first, cream after) or Devonshire way (cream first, jam second) is a different matter altogether.

And, when it comes to cake, you’ll definitely want to serve this rich dairy-free almond butter and jam vegan sponge cake. Extremely moist and oh-so-creamy! Just make sure there’s room for scones and biscuits too! Try our vegan ginger biscuits for a warm and spicy treat.

Time For Tea

Of course, every afternoon tea should be washed down with plenty of, well, tea. And there’s no better choice, in our humble opinion, than our very own Twinings Afternoon Tea. And what better way to serve it than in our Pip Studio china teacups! It doesn’t have to be pure black tea at your afternoon soiree! Mix things up with our Afternoon Tea Collection featuring a classic Earl Grey and Breakfast Tea as well as our peppy Peppermint!

The main ingredient in a successful veggie or vegan afternoon tea is making sure everything is relaxed - especially you! Less is more, so don’t over-complicate it and remember that while you ‘host with the most’, make sure you have fun!