Monday, June 09, 2014

Tea Time




Although I have never before hosted an afternoon tea at home, I do love the thought of doing so.  There is something about this type of entertaining that is so gracious and elegant, not to mention practical, too.  First, you don't have to be a cook nor employ a cook to host a tea.  Breads, scones, and cookies can be purchased at a bakery, while tea sandwiches require little more than spreading and cutting.  Second, afternoon entertaining means that your guests are out of your house by early evening, ensuring that you have plenty of time to clean up before bedtime.  And finally, because weekday jobs are often a hindrance to afternoon entertaining, there is always the option of hosting tea on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.

Someone else who appreciated tea was the late Jean Howard, still revered as one of old Hollywood's most accomplished hostesses.  Howard often hosted teas, once telling a House & Garden writer, "Tea is the most civilized way to talk to people.  You don't have to worry about who sits where or whether you have the right number of men and women.  Moreover, if two people who disagree would just sit down with a nice cup of tea instead of a martini, they could work out their differences without saying a lot of things they'd regret later."  Good point.

Françoise de la Renta was also a fan of inviting guests to tea.  She once wrote, "Nothing is more welcoming than a delicious tea: The hour is perfect, after work, before theater, the ingredients are your choice, from simple bread and butter to the abundant tea of Nicolas Nabokov's childhood (Bagazh, The Memoirs of a Russian Cosmopolitan)."  I have shown a photo of de la Renta's Nabokov-inspired tea on my blog before, but I'm showing it again because I think it is supremely elegant.

If you're still not convinced that afternoon teas are worth the fuss, then take a look at the photo at the top of this post, which shows Jean Howard presiding over her tea table.  The pretty china, the trays of delectables, the elegant background.  Can you imagine a more lovely way to entertain?


Françoise de la Renta set this tea table, which was inspired by the childhood memories of Nabokov.



In Fifth Avenue Style, Howard Slatkin wrote that "afternoon tea is perhaps my most favorite meal."  With a tea trolley as lovely as this, I can understand why.




Tea set for the Comtesse de Paris.



A tea set in the kitchen at the château of the Duchesse de Sabran.



Tea with Sybil Connolly.


"The Uncluttered Tea Table" vignette at Tiffany & Co.

13 comments:

  1. It all looks simply marvelous. We'll be right over!

    ReplyDelete
  2. love these images xxpeggybraswelldesign,com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Have someone else make all those dainty little tea sandwiches! It's easy to make a cake or cookies and supplement them with something fabulous from a truly great bakery, but cutting off all those crusts and making those sandwiches is very time consuming.

    I like tea in the winter in front of a fire (wonderful after the holidays when everything has quieted down) or in the garden in June when the roses and other early summer flowers are at their peak.

    One of the loveliest teas I've even been involved with (I did the flowers and provided 50 of the linen tea napkins and the laundering that required!) was the one that used to be hosted by the English Speaking Union in celebration of the Queen's Birthday. They may still do it - I don't know. It was held at the gorgeous Oxmoor Farm whose gardens were so lovely. We used an enormous antique cloth for the large tea table under the tent, all our best silver, polished and gleaming, linen tea napkins, and fabulous thin sandwiches (ever tried to slice a tomato VERY thinly?), cakes and cookies. It was one of the loveliest parties I've ever attended. I did wonderful flowers in silver water pitchers for every round table that was set up and a huge arrangement in an antique epergne on the large table. Weather was perfection, ladies wore hats and summery dresses, and some gentlemen even got out their boaters. As one guest commented - it was "more English than the English"!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SRB, The tea that you described sounds fabulous. I have never tried to slice a tomato thinly, but I am sure that it is no easy feat.

      Delete
  4. i just hostessed a tea last week to welcome the soon-to-be-bride of a dear friend - her mother had come into town with her and it was a great opportunity to have the two of them and a few others over to get to know them in a relaxed, ladies-only environment - teas are really a great way to entertain on a smaller scale.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Grace, Your tea sounds lovely, too. I agree that it's a more intimate form of entertaining, which makes it a nice way to get to know new friends.

      Delete
  5. My grandmother had a tea trolly. My sister has it now in England. Come to Victoria, BC, Canada, sometime, and try high tea at the Empress Hotel.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love hosting intimate little tea parties at home. The last one I did was last October which was the perfect time to incorporate seasonal goodies such as little pumpkin tarts, along with the more traditional scones and tea sandwiches. As you say, everyone enjoys the relaxed atmosphere and the good food, and when it is time to bid farewell to one's host, the minimum of clean up is required to get the house back in shape. There is something so very civilizing about sitting down, sipping tea and enjoying good conversation and friends.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Daniele3:43 PM

    I've just read your delightful post (alas I don't receive them in my email account anymore, what's happening?) and couldn't agree more. Afternoon tea is the perfect way of entertaining!
    Easy and flexible enough to let the host or hostess enjoy the company, and still full of opportunity for the little visual treats - china, flower, candles - which enhance the life of all us old-fashion-design geeks. And you can still serve a glass of champagne! Much more fun than boring dinners.
    Should you come to London, Jennifer, please be my guest, you'll be served an Italian twist on afternoon tea :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Daniele, Afternoon tea with an Italian twist sounds lovely to me! My apologies for the email delivery problem. It is an issue with Feedburner; many bloggers are having the same problem. If you'll email me your email address, I can see about resubscribing you. My email is jennifer@thepeakofchic.com

      Delete
  8. One of my favorite things is to go out to tea - but I've never hosted. Perhaps it's time to try that out!

    ReplyDelete