The History of Cream Tea
Afternoon Tea wasn’t invented in the 11th Century,
It came about because of Anna Russell. The 7th Duchess of Bedford would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served around at eight o’clock. Thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.
‘Tea rooms’ were all the rage in the late 19th century. Quickly becoming THE place for meeting friends… just like The Fizzy Tarté!
However, they were also considered one of the few respectable places for women to meet without a chaperone.
Because of this, the out-of-home Afternoon Tea took off so quickly. Soon enough ‘tea dances’ were being hosted at the most expensive hotels in the area.