How to host an afternoon tea party

For plenty more afternoon tea inspiration, check out our reviews of the best afternoon teas in London or in the UK, plus check out all our best afternoon tea recipes for even more ideas. For more hosting guides, see our top tips on how to host a pancake party or a gourmet film night.

Special touches for your table

To feel like the host with the most, take some time creating your perfect afternoon tea tablescape. Lay out a tablecloth and napkins for each guest, write name cards and put out mini jars of flowers.

Pour your tea from a pretty teapot for the occasion – we've chosen some of the best teapots to buy to get you inspired, from delicate glass to floral stoneware. For a summer tea party, check out our picks of the best summer kitchen accessories to buy, including pretty embroidered napkins.

Present your tea in style

Make your afternoon tea feel extra special by serving up your selection of snacks on a pretty cake stand. Cake stands come in a variety of shapes, styles and colours so you can find one to suit your kitchen aesthetic. Single-tier cake stands are perfect for displaying a single showstopper bake and making it your centrepiece. Two- or three-tiered cake stands give the traditional afternoon tea look that you'll see in iconic locations such as The Ritz, and are perfect for layering up dainty finger sandwiches, scones, biscuits and mini cakes. We've chosen some of our favourite cake stands to buy so you can find one that suits you.

The best baking kit

Make sure you've got all the baking kit you need for perfect cakes and bakes before you get started. Keen bakers might like to invest in a stand mixer to save time and energy hand-mixing: check out our tried and tested reviews of the best stand mixers to see our top-rated recommendations. A brownie tin is a versatile addition to your kit that will come in handy for making an afternoon tea – perfect for brownies, yes, but it can also be used for a range of traybakes, flapjacks or rocky road recipes. Our experts have tried and tested the best brownie tins to buy, starting at just £9.99.

Start with savoury

Finger sandwiches usually form the first round of afternoon tea. Go retro with coronation chicken filling or give a modern spin to a familiar favourite with our gochujang egg mayo sandwich recipe. The savoury round of afternoon tea doesn't have to be limited to just sandwiches, however – think savoury muffins, mini quiches, frittatas or simple blinis loaded with toppings. For a fun kitchen project, try making homemade Scotch eggs and slice into quarters to serve at the start of tea.

Spruce up your scones

In our opinion, an ultimate afternoon tea wouldn't be complete without serving up warm, freshly baked scones. Try our classic scones recipe or add extra flavours with our blueberry scones, cherry scones or poppyseed scones. Our gluten-free scones recipe is easy if you've got dietary requirements to cater for. You can even make air-fryer scones if you don't want to turn the oven on.

Clotted cream and jam are the traditional accompaniments to scones but there's plenty of ways to get creative – spread Nutella, Biscoff, zingy lemon curd or fruity plum compote on top of your scones. If you love savoury flavours, bake a batch of Comté and olive scones and top with salted butter, cream cheese or even Boursin for extra decadence.

Perfect patisserie

The final sweet round of an afternoon tea is a great time to have fun baking and decorating a variety of miniature sweet treats. Choose a selection of your favourite cakes and bakes and consider having a balance of different flavours and textures so it doesn't get one note – think about something fruity, something chocolatey, something creamy and something crunchy.

For delicate patisserie, try homemade macarons or buttery Viennese whirls. Have a go at choux pastry and make classic chocolate eclairs or pretty-in-pink strawberry eclairs that are perfect for a summer afternoon tea. For cake, dainty strawberry cupcakes will look pretty on your cake stand whilst our Earl Grey and yogurt madeleines are a light, chic addition to your menu.

Cake to share

If you don't want to make lots of miniature desserts, everyone will love tucking into a big sharing cake for the sweet part of your afternoon tea too. It will save you time (especially if decorating isn't your favourite), makes a great centrepiece and is easy for serving a crowd. A classic Victoria sponge is perfect for a traditional afternoon tea, or try our easy carrot cake recipe.

Traybakes are a great option if you're serving lots of people, and you can slice into as many pieces as you want. Check out our selection of sweet traybake recipes to find your favourite from a fruity Eton mess traybake that is perfect in summer to gooey black forest brownies.

Time for tea

Serve up your favourite cuppa alongside the food, or try something new to make the tea course extra special. This turmeric chai tea is simple to make, or if you want something a little boozy, try a tea-inspired cocktail such as this delicate jasmine pearl tea gimlet. If the weather is hot, serve refreshing peach iced tea – this will keep in the fridge for up to five days so is great for making in advance.

Order a special delivery

Short on time? If you don't have time to cook and bake a whole afternoon tea, we've tried and tested the best afternoon tea delivery services to deliver the freshly baked goods right to you. These are perfect for special occasions and also make great gifts for anyone who loves an afternoon tea. We love the DukesHill afternoon tea hamper loaded with fruitcake, flapjacks and chocolate tiffin, or try Cutter & Squidge for a more traditional delivery complete with scones, clotted cream and teabags.