A Right Royal Afternoon Tea Party

If you need a sophisticated excuse for a Hen Party in Cambridge, then I am your girl... I can throw quite the afternoon tea party, if you didn't know by now hehe and it's the perfect way to spend an afternoon with your fellow hens and relax with a few homemade afternoon tea treats in a secluded Cambridgeshire location.

I don't like the willy waving hen party, it's really not my bag, however, sophisticated afternoon tea and hen party pampering, I love to offer and see my guests enjoying. 

With all the Jubilee celebrations being held recently, I was honored to witness such a lovely Hen Party with 16 lovely hens in the Cambridge Countryside over the Queens Diamond Jubilee weekend and saw just how lucky the Hen in question was, the lovely Emily, with her fantastic friends, who lovingly put together a relaxed Hen Party to overshadow all Hen Parties!

It was held at one of my most favourite and most secluded secret tea party venues and the girls arrived early to decorate the venue and make it their own. And they did this in true *British* style!... 

Union Jack bunting adorned the venue from floor to ceiling, paper chains curved around every decorative arch or doorway and miniature flags were pushed into meringues and tartlets as well as a service bell at the *Bride-To-Be*'s place setting for her to ding every time she needed something or anything. She was one pampered lady, which is just how it should be on your Hen party. 

Bunting and flags had also been set up outside the venue for a right royal welcome once the lovely lady arrived. Hens waved her in just like they would The Queen Herself, as she was driven up the drive to the stunning village hall of which she knew nothing about until she arrived. It was quite amusing watching her friends giving her the royal wave and helping her inside like royalty, with her genuine excitement being a really nice feeling for me, as she was expecting afternoon tea, she just hadn't realise it was with The Secluded Tea Party much to her happiness, as she had heard about me a while back, so bless her friends for arranging this for her - It was as much for me as it was for them : ) 

The afternoon tea party menu consisted of open top sandwiches (cucumber, fresh mint & soft cheese and egg mayonnaise & cress), warm cheese scones with herb butter & red onion chutney, chocolate and also raspberry meringue kisses with lemon curd swirled clotted cream, raspberry tartlets with vanilla creme patisserie, a Jubilee-inspired layer cake with blackcurrant & cassis jam (Home made by Deborah, my lovely jam lady) and decorated on top with blueberries & raspberries in the shape of the Union Jack to keep it in line with the weekends' celebrations. 

After my recent tea tasting tea party with Kandula Tea (a local tea supplier), I also offered these lovely ladies their very own private tea tasting within the afternoon tea festivities, with various tea options open for them to sample and they embraced into the spirit of this and enjoyed sampling the different teas on offer and enjoying them all, which was great to see. 

I even offered a Chai Tea course, serving some home made chocolate truffles with it, which went down very well and will be something that I offer at future events, should guests fancy trying this. 

The guests did play a few silly games (including a quiz on the Bride and also a *Dress the Bride* with toilet paper which was just hilarious to watch unravel... literally!) of which helped everybody get to know each other and to help break the ice before they all spend time together again at the wedding and I thought this was such a great idea, especially after the event, when a few of the later leaving ladies mentioned to me that this helped them to get to know some of the bride-to-be's family and friends, what a nice feeling to know this afternoon tea party helped them to feel more excited about the upcoming wedding : ) 

This hen party was going to be an all day affair in Cambridge, with my afternoon tea party being followed by cocktail making & a meal, along with a night of dancing to end this lovely day of celebrations. It was the perfect and very civilised Cambridge Hen Party and it was a delight to be a part of just a fraction of it. 

More importantly, congratulations to the happy couple, who tied the knot this month, I genuinely wish them all the happiness in the world in their new marriage. 

Miss Sue Flay 

xx

Afternoon Tea Baking Classes with Giuliana Orme

I have been following the website of the Talented Giuliana Orme from the very start of my afternoon tea infatuation and in my eyes has been a million miles away from my own life and experience - she has been the object of my affection (from afar!) for a very long time. Until now that is.

This lovely lady offers beginners and advanced afternoon tea baking lessons in her stunning London Townhouse, only a stones throw from Primrose Hill and as a country girl visiting on a very rare visit to our capital, I was in awe from the minute I stepped out of the tube station. The houses here are more than houses, they are homes. And when I say homes, the sort of luxurious homes that you can only read about in my favourite country and home magazines.

With lots of posh cars littering this area, I knew right away that there would be a super little coffee shop somewhere on these roads, as I had arrive 45 minutes too early to start knocking on my hostesses door... So I wandered in the drizzle and sure enough, passing (and ignoring in my pursuit for something better) a Starbucks, I rounded the corner and found an independent bakery stroke coffee shop filled with amazing smells and every variety of bread, cake, pastry and coffee known to man, with approximately 4 tables for customers to sit at.

This was the sort of coffee shop I have only personally read about and chuckled to myself, the ones where the group of 10 mums sat next to me on the communal table where they were all off to their personal trainer after their skinny latte. They were in that coffee shop to sniff the cake and not touch, so kept staring at me as I tucked into a cappuccino and full fat, most stunning crisp-on-the-outside, yet soft-in-the-middle almond croissant I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying! I didn't care that I being watched, it was worth every calorie after my stressful commute from Cambridge : )

Off I then hopped, trying to rope in my brolly as it turned inside out in the wind, to my baking lesson, arriving at the very same time as my fellow student for the day who was just as sweet as our tutor. She was a Japanese lady, not a stranger to Giuliana and her baking lessons, she has been a few times prior and was here to join me in the more specialised baking lesson, which moves on from her afternoon tea basics.

Today we found ourselves sat at Giulianas huge kitchen table chatting to her as if she was an old friend from the very start. She has such a warm personality, she hugs you the minute you walk through the door and makes you feel at home in this lovely green kitchen (of which was decorated by her sons friend who became an interior designer & told her to trust him on the colour, of which she did and is very pleased with as a result she told us : )

The kitchen is not a show kitchen, it is loved and used, you can tell. It's full of mismatching china, teapots, photos, thank you cards, you could stare in awe for hours and it made me smile at just how family orientated this kitchen is. You can tell its the hub of the home, as a bakers kitchen should well be.

On the menu were 3 afternoon tea treats, the first was a family favourite in Giulianas' household, The Ritz Torte, of which appears at every birthday table with candles without fail she proudly told us. It was stunning, and I have made it several times since, with it's salted meringue base, a secret ingredient gives this dessert a taste like no other (but I shall keep you guessing as to what is in this delicious concoction ; ) and once cooled, given a generous stopping of whipped cream and grated chocolate. It's  new addition to my own afternoon tea table for my friends and family and the love for this will keep on going!

We then had great fun trying out different zesters and squeezers for the lemons in  fruity and simply stunning Lemon Curd recipe. Some of the equipment we played with had been picked up in the US whilst on our hostesses travels, one of which I have since found in a local shop and very quickly whipped up as its a life saver when it comes to lemon squeezing! Lemon geekery was had with this simple method, using (no apologies made here!) the microwave - who knew Lemon Curd could be SO easy to make?!

We then stopped for a break, sitting down to tea , Giuliana played "Mother", teaching us exactly where this phrase came from and poured us each a teacup full of loose leaf tea, serving a plate of home made shortbread made by the previous days' students which was to die for.

We were very relaxed by then, with the chilled out background music helping us to feel even more at home and moving on to the Cheese Scones, with just a pinch of Paprika and plenty of mature cheddar, amongst other delicious ingredients. We formed them into bite sized treats and enjoyed them fresh out of the oven, served alongside a fresh afternoon tea feast of cold ham, leaf salad, salsa and herb butter to spread onto our warm scones.

Once we had set the world to rights, discussed our love of afternoon tea and travel (what a wealth of advice from two of the most well travelled and cultured ladies in London on this day it was too!) as well as discussing the fun she has had over the years with foreign students and teaching them the perfect English tradition of afternoon tea and how to make it. Giuliana loves what she does, even modestly shares her fun stories of how she has even appeared on Japanese television doing what she is most passionate about, what a hoot!

I had decided to finally treat myself to a visit to Giulianas home as a special treat to myself with a recent bonus I received in my day job. I can honestly say it was the best day I've spent my money on for a VERY long time and one I want to relive again in the very near future, as she just has a way of making everything so exciting and new. She doesn't talk down to you and she treats you like a son or daughter, lovingly imparting her afternoon tea wisdom and baking skills on you for the day. Nothing is too much effort and she cuts corners like the best of us....and isn't scared to admit if she has found a shortcut or trick that makes life faster & easier. I love her for just this alone.

I was allowed to take some of our hard work home with me, which just about made it on the train for my family to try and they were chuffed to pieces that I did! It was a hands on day, we took it in turns between us both as students to try everything at least once, sharing our thoughts and experiences, tips and tricks, everything and anything from getting egg shell out of your mix to which teas to serve with which dishes. With a Japanese influence in the room that day, I learnt so much more than any local baking class could have offered me in Cambridge and I may be as bold as to say I learnt many things from my fellow student here that money just couldn't buy. And what a gem she was too : )

I can also honestly say that I made two very lovely baking friends here and I will be seeing them both very soon in fact, as they both have booked to come to my Etiquette of Afternoon Tea event in September, which I am so very excited about. I cannot wait to see them again and share the lovely William Hanson with them both!

Giuliana has also written her own book on afternoon tea, with recipes, history of tea, etiquette she has learnt and much more and it is one of the best books on afternoon tea that I have ever read. I'm not just saying that, I cannot believe  that I haven't come across is before and I urge anybody who loves baking and/or afternoon tea to gain a copy of this little treasure immediately!

For more information on Afternoon Tea Lessons, visit her website here:

www.afternoontealessons.com

Miss Sue Flay

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Daily Bread Co-operative Cambridge

The Daily Bread Co-operative is based in Kings Hedges, Cambridge and was introduced to me by the lovely Marcia who I used to work with in my old day job. She highly rated this Aladdin's cave of good food and ingredients as the place to go for my own baking supplies and I drove straight down there to check it out. 

Since last year, I have been back several times, as now I am working on the doorstep again, there is absolutely no excuse to drop in and stock up when supplies are low. It truly does not disappoint. 

The Daily Bread Co-operative was originally set up in Northamptonshire, and we now have our own Co-operative which is based in a large Cambridge warehouse, home to a large supply of healthy & world foods, with their message being "Healthy Living - Wholesome Food" as well as being a company with a strong Mental Health Policy. All of their members have the same rights & benefits and are encouraged to take on as many tasks & as much responsibility as they can and wish to take on. 

This Co-operative does have a very strong Christian belief and this shows through their website, but as somebody has no strong feelings when it comes to faith personally, I enjoy coming here purely from a food loving point of view. It's floor to ceiling of flours, sugars, lentils, herbs, spices, sauces, breads, chocolate, tea, coffee, drinks, toiletries, eco-laundry products, garden seeds, cakes, butters, ice creams, oats and granola mixes... the list goes on and on. 

They even had an entire shelf dedicated to so many types of Peanut Butter, I was genuinely in awe of just how many there actually are!... I couldn't even tell you what half of them were, but wow!

You can buy Baking powder in the masses and fantastic quality chocolate drops and chips, which have just been perfect for my dabble into the world of cake pops this weekend... I added some of their chocolate chips to my cake pop mix and they were gorgeous, melt in the mouth and like nothing I would have bought from my local supermarket. 

They also have a very impressive range of Gluten free Goodies, including the most amazing Chocolate Brownie I have ever tasted (With wheat or without!) and I had such a great time indulging in this little *Me-Sized* treat prior to joining Weightwatchers out of cake guilt later that day hehe. 

The staff are also very knowledgeable, I asked if they had certain random and obscure ingredients and the very kind gentleman behind the counter came over to me and led me around the store to collect every single one of the items I had asked him for. Nothing was too much effort and he did it with a smile, no pointing and telling me where to go. Now that is service!

There is a real emphasis on recycling, with facilities in their car park to recycle paper, steel, aluminum & glass and customers are asked to use a cardboard box from the shop to carry their shopping home, or to bring their own shopping bags to use for their purchases. If you need shopping bags, you can buy their own cloth bags there, to be re-used of course. 

They also sell washable nappies, should you have kids and be in need of these. They always make me chuckle as a kid-free baker... I can't imagine having to clean these bad boys, but I like the fact they are eco-friendly and I LOVE to imagine the poor cleaner of said product once used. Haha... Evil I know!

The Daily Bread Co-operative also has a small cafe should you wish to stay and have a brew, of which I was almost tempted myself, as I had spent so long browsing, I was parched, but my lunch hour was restricting me. Next time, I will stop, I have promised myself : ) 

You can admire the local artwork adorning the cafe walls, one piece in particular this week that had caught every eye in the shop as we passed it at the counter, in the form of a large peacock sculpted form metal. The gent behind the counter proudly advised (As he caught me gazing in wonderment) that this was sculpted by one of their own employees in the shop and very impressive it is too!

Anybody is welcome in this fabulous food haven,  so if you love food and drink, or if you are a bit of a saver of the environment, then get down there and support this fabulous business. 

http://www.dailybread.co.uk

Miss Sue Flay 

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Review: Afternoon Tea at John Lewis

After a recent discussion with a lovely lady who left a comment on a blog post I had ranted on about the cost of afternoon tea and the fact that so many hotels, restaurants, shops and the like are jumping on the bandwagon and getting it so wrong, I fancied following her advice... So headed to our local John Lewis store in Cambridge. 

She had recently visited the Oxford Street branch of John Lewis in London to escape the rain and had been surprised at what great value & just how delicious their afternoon tea tier was. She had also said that she visited the Cambridge store and hadn't been as impressed. This has been in the back of my mind for some time now, along with a weekend of no plans, just relaxation, I decided it was time to give my local John Lewis a try for myself. 

The Brasserie at John lewis in Cambridge is a gorgeous space with a peaceful view of the University Arms Hotel and surrounding colleges. With huge ceiling high windows, the natural light in this large, airy room makes it feel like a secluded retreat within the very centre of Cambridge. 

Why on earth have I never thought to give it a try before? 

Located on the top floor of the brand new John Lewis store in The Grand Arcade, you can either sit in their Espresso Coffee Bar for a quick brew & a pastry during your shopping trip, or you can grab a booth or a window seat in the larger Brasserie, which serves Breakfast, Lunch, even Roast Dinners on a Sunday and of course afternoon tea. 

I naturally went for the tier, of which sounded like fantastic value, at just £10.95 per person, you are provided with finger sandwiches, scones, and a selection of cakes, not forgetting a pot of tea or coffee should you wish to add this to your order. 

If you don't require the beverages, you can have the tier on it's own for just £7.95, however afternoon tea, in my opinion, is not complete without a cuppa in hand.

I went for a pot of Earl Grey with a pot of hot water to top up, much thanks to the lovely waiter for doing this, he was so friendly and couldn't be helpful enough. On arrival, the cute 2 tier cake plate made me smile before it had even rested on my table, it was refreshingly different to any afternoon tea tier I have sampled for some time. It consisted of two delicate finger sandwiches, including a Cucumber, which could have done with some seasoning, but I will let them off hehe and a simple Salmon sandwich which was delicious. 

Two warm mini plain scones came with lashings of strawberry preserves and Rodda's Clotted Cream and not forgetting the vanilla creme patisserie tartlet with fresh Blueberries which impressed me hugely, as you could tell that the pastry was homemade and not a shop bought cheater ; ) 

They also had a very pretty Chocolate Brownie French Fancy, which was filled with a vanilla buttercream and was the perfect end to a very indulgent late lunch & a fantastic end to a super weekend. 

I also can't fault the staff in anyway, they were friendly, knowledgeable and nothing was too much. For a large department store, it exceeded my expectations a million per cent, I truly was expecting a young waiter who wouldn't be too bothered, but he was so helpful when it came to the menu and answering our questions and after we noted that they only had 15 minutes (as announced on the store tannoy) before the Brasserie closed to staff,  he advised us that it was just last orders at this time, but we had until near to 6pm if we wished, so there would be no rush, which made us feel at ease from the very start. 

The only real downside would have been that compared to other afternoon teas, there could have been a little more savoury to balance it, but if you have a sweet tooth, this isn't ever going to be a problem for you. It's not a generic tea stand, there are no dull tray bakes or scones to make your tongue go fuzzy here. Just delicious, freshly made treats with a very short wait in this secret afternoon tea retreat, you will be pleased to learn. 

Great value for money and fantastic service, I urge you to give it a go if you find yourself needing a light bite in Cambridge City Centre any day of the week, they are open for tea from 3pm with no need to pre-book, just turn up and enjoy the seclusion within this busy location. 

It's my new favourite tea spot! 


Have you been to John Lewis in any City yourself? 

Do share your thoughts below in a comment : ) 

Miss Sue Flay 

x

A Summer Warmer - Apple, Brandy & Cinnamon Streusel Cake

Today, after a much needed walk around the entire outskirts of 2 villages here in Cambridgeshire with the pup, I had a niggling thought. In fact, I had many thoughts whilst excitedly exploring the beautiful countryside and having a nosy at one of my favourite windmills whilst trying to keep myself upright at the top of a couple of hills...

How bloody cold is it right now?!

And it's JUNE!

 Our summer is here and with great British tradition it is wetter, windier and a million miles colder than our spring ever was. 

In fact, one of my wonderment's was if the hosepipe ban is still in force?!... I truly don't know the answer to that one haha. 

Only 2 weeks ago I was sat on Royston Heath enjoying a lovely picnic with my bestest friends and their little boy and getting toasty warm in the sunshine with some great conversation and much needed Vitamin D. Yet today it's been black, grey and shades of the two combined all day, with gale force winds, whilst now sat on my sofa typing away, my toes are blue with cold sat by the window. 

This week, with the Jubilee celebrations having been in full swing, we were greeted as a nation with lashings of rain & wind and the poor Queen looked so cold and uncomfortable on her Royal Boat on the Thames that I felt slightly guilty laying on my sofa, drying off under a blanket in my beer-fuelled snoozy state watching her shiver after my fun visit to a local Jubilee street party. 

I now have a weekend of relaxation ahead of me, with various visits for company, so a cake is needed to entertain my loved ones. 

Not just any cake, though... 

A Summer Warmer ; ) 

A warm cake, straight from the oven, not a beautifully formed layer cake, but a substantial and warming sweet sponge with a crunchy almond topping to comfort us on this freezing cold June weekend, which could be mistaken for an Autumnal weekend in October currently. 

So, I have decided to adapt my favourite winter warming cake, which is usually the stunning Almond & Cranberry Streusel Cake, with sweet bursts in your mouth from the fresh Cranberries used in this seasonal recipe, it's a gorgeous cake to make for an indulgent afternoon tea for your friends. 

You can find the recipe and inspiration for this Streusel Cake here, should you fancy making your very own Summer Warmer if you feel a little chilly and in need of a "Pick Me Up" 

Today, I filled this cake with juicy Pink Lady apples (Peeled, Cored and roughly diced into large cubes) mixed with a couple of generous teaspoons of Cinnamon as well as Sultanas soaked in Brandy. 

I soaked them in a generous glug of the good stuff and left them to soak it all in for a couple of hours prior to making the cake. I also used some luxury ingredients in the form of Duck Eggs for a really light cake batter, it's made a very fluffy mix this time around and smells amazing. 


If you would prefer to go alcohol free, not that it adds too much booze to it, but I can suggest you using a few tablespoons of Apple Juice for flavour, or simply a little boiling water to coat them and soak them instead. The soaking simply stops the fruit from going crispy within your cake : ) 

Served warm from the oven, leaving it for a good 15 minutes if you can bear to wait so as not to burn your tongue, with a huge dollop of vanilla ice cream, it's the perfect antidote to a freezing British summers' day. 

Have a lovely weekend, filled with warming cake and a good strong cuppa

x

How To Host A Jubilee Tea Party

Have you heard?... It's the Jubilee Bank Holiday, just in case you missed out on the hype hehe. 

I am feeling more patriotic today than I thought I would and with this feeling of love towards Her Majesty and her 60 years on the throne, I am honoring this blog post to our beloved Queen and the upcoming celebrations. 

It's the perfect time, along with the gorgeous weather, to host a Jubilee Tea Party and what better way of throwing one than to enjoy it with a few friends or family members, perhaps even just for yourself if you fancy bit of pampering and need an excuse to do so (Pffft, like you ever need an excuse to indulge from time to time?!)

Sometimes only a mini tea party on my sofa is the only way to end a tough weekend of relaxing!

So, first things first, finding your venue. Start with home, depending on how big scale you want to go, although I find the smaller, intimate tea parties much more fun sometimes. use your lounge or dining room and decorate with bunting and pretty table cloths. Perhaps even venture into the garden and safely light with pretty candles and flowers picked freshly from that rose garden in the corner? Place flowers in milk jugs or small teapots for a nice little touch to the afternoon tea table. 

Or why not venture out to a large stately park and picnic with a basket and picnic rug? An Al Fresco Tea Party can be very relaxing, especially with a relaxing game of rounders or a walk afterwards to stretch your legs and burn off a scone or two : ) 

The Tea is important. Loose leaf tea will be the only option in opinion. Try a traditional blend, such as an English Breakfast or an Earl Grey for a fragrant cuppa. Or give something a bit more interesting a go, such as a Pink Ceylon from Kandula Tea or even a Rhubarb & Custard from Teabox Online if you are feeling a bit more playful. Both are winners with guests at my own afternoon tea events. 

You must remember to warm your teapot with hot water, empty it then brew your tea, this little trick just helps to keep your teapot warmer for a little longer. And don't tap that teacup with your spoon as you stir in your milk or sugar, it's very rude and Her Royal Highness would not approve. 

Quietly does it. 

If you are anything like me, then you are sweet enough and don't need sugar in your tea... However, if you do take sugar, check out these gorgeous shaped sugar cubes from John Lewis. They come in cute little hearts, buttons, houses, flowers amongst other designs. They are a fantastic talking point for your table and beautiful to just look at. You can even add them to cupcakes as decorations instead. 

Fresh linen is a must, colourful tablecloths, napkins and tea cosy's to keep your brew warm. Cath Kidston are fantastic for a cute tea cosy, or why not be adventurous and attempt to knit your own?

Don't forget the finger sandwiches. Dainty, crustless and perfectly filled sandwiches are the most important savoury option to your afternoon tea. If you are wanting great suggestions for your perfectly formed finger sandwiches, I can highly rate a traditional Coronation Chicken, a good Cheddar Cheese & Tomato Relish and even a good quality Ham & Garlic Jam sandwich for all those looking for something a little more unusual. Not forgetting the classic Cucumber Sandwich, of which you can find my recipes for two different variations here. 

Little flags made with colourful paper and cocktail sticks are easy to make an effective, so if you are feeling creative, give it a go. 

Cake, of course, is the ultimate afternoon tea treat. Scones, fruit being my favourite, paired with a homemade Peach & Amaretto Jam and dollop of Clotted Cream is a course that cannot be ignored, followed by some delicate Vanilla Creme Patisserie Tartlets or if you prefer, a large layer cake filled with a fluffy whipped cream & topped with fresh fruit. I have been playing this weekend with my twist on a classic victoria sponge and have decided to go with fresh raspberries folded into the sponge mix before baking, and decorating the top with the fruit shaped into the Union Jack design. It's effective and summery, get creating your own version of this simple idea to wow your afternoon tea guests. 

If you are feeling ready to get your arts and crafts bag out again (Yes, I do have a naff arts and crafts bag in my lounge that comes out for such activities ; ) then you can make your own cake bunting using coloured card, shaped into triangles, strung onto a length of nylon and attach to 2 bamboo skewers to hang over your cakey creations. It's such an easy task, yet it looks fantastic hanging over a Mocha Layer Cake or another dish that needs a little more colour to it. Why not even use the same idea to hang mini Union Jack paper chains over your dish?.....

Mis-matching china is the only way to enjoy your well deserved sit down after all that baking. You can collect it from charity shops car boot sales, although I find everybody in Cambridge has the same idea lately. So try further afield... I have personally found that the people of Shropshire have not yet cottoned onto this vintage craze... so get yourself down to Ludlow or surrounding areas for some real steals when it comes to their charity shops or antiques!... I even found myself a superb working gramophone there for a fraction of the price it would have been back in Cambridge, so it's worth looking around. 

Remember, if you feel unglamorous whilst attempting to be the perfect host or hostess, this is perfectly normal. See my latest blog post on the messy side to hosting an afternoon tea party... apparently it happens to most hosts, so you won't be alone if something goes wrong. But, most likely, if it does, you will be laughing about it afterwards, dont take it too seriously, just have lots of fun. 

And if you can, try and rope one of the kids or a partner into the washing up in exchange for all of your glorious baking and hosting skills... they surely can't argue for such a Royal exchange ; ) 

If they DO argue, then leave it until the next day, it's always easier that way. 

If you would like to read more about The Queen and Afternoon Tea, you can read my joint article with the fabulous William Hanson in the June edition of Vintage Life Magazine (You can subscribe online or buy from your local WH Smith : )  

William and I will be co-hosting The Etiquette of Afternoon Tea workshop together in September, with a few spaces left, so do book if you fancy learning some good manners to add to your helping of afternoon tea - More information here. 

William has also written a stupidly amusing article for the Huffington Post on how to host a Jubilee Garden Tea Party, should you decide to go al fresco with your celebrations. Enjoy!

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend

Miss Sue Flay 

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