Afternoon Teas

Experience the elegance of a traditional full Afternoon Tea served under the beams of our beautifully restored 17th century Great Green Barn.

We have chosen the very best for you; warm scones with jam & clotted cream, extraordinary cakes and pâtisserie and an array of freshly prepared finger sandwiches.
​
All served with a selection of loose-leaf teas.


Why Afternoon Tea?
During the early nineteenth century it was usual for people to have only two meals a day, breakfast in the morning and dinner around 8 o'clock in the evening. It is said that Anna Maria Russell, the 7th Duchess of Bedford complained of "having that sinking feeling" during the late afternoon; she wanted something to give her sustenance through to dinner - her solution was a pot a tea and a light snack, taken privately in her boudoir during the afternoon. And so, it is said, her solution of tea in the afternoon became popular, and the new dining experience of Afternoon Tea was coined.

​Though this is a lovely story, the origin of Afternoon Tea is difficult to pin down. It is known several spas and hotels would serve tea and cake in the mid to late afternoon from as early as the 1750s... I guess we will never know.

You may also like the following events from Great Green Barn:

• This October, 18th October, 07:30 pm, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde in Guildford