Absolutely London

The Best Afternoon Tea Deliveries

Four fancy afternoon tea deliveries to enjoy at home

By Felicity Carter

Afternoon tea has been a British tradition since 1840, when Anna the seventh Duchess of Bedford would become hungry at four o’clock in the afternoon. To keep her going until supper, she’d have a snackette in the form of small sandwiches, cake, and tea. This break in the day soon became a fashionable event and is still as popular today.

While we can’t enjoy high tea at one of London’s top hotels any time soon due to the Coronavirus lockdown, some of the city’s top destinations for afternoon tea have created at-home options that you can have delivered straight to your door.

4 of the best afternoon tea deliveries

Betty’s Tea Scones Gift Selection

Betty’s is a luxury purveyor of fine baked goods and has become particularly renowned in Yorkshire, where their tea shops are located. Luckily, they offer UK-wide delivery on their edible delectables. This classic Tea & Scones Gift Selection is comprised of four scones (enjoy them on the day of delivery or pop them in the freezer for later, if you can bear the wait), strawberry preserve, a Yorkshire tea loaf and Betty’s signature tea to recreate the tea room experience at home. It makes a great present too, as it comes in a beautiful box with designs by Emily Sutton. Be sure to add their signature Fat Rascals (similar to a scone and rock cake) to your order too.

bettys.co.uk

Fortnum & Mason Mid-Afternoon Tea Hamper

On grey winter days, a mid-afternoon pick-me-up is always needed and the Fortnum’s The Mid-Afternoon Tea Hamper is just the ticket. This classic wicker hamper is brimming with treats that’ll please everyone. There’s classic strawberry jam, and a range of indulgent chocolates, buttery biscuits galore and of course, a selection of fine teas. The hamper is priced at £150 with nationwide delivery – plus when you’re finished, you end up with a beautiful home accessory!

fortnumandmason.com/

GAIL’s Bakery Afternoon Tea For 4

GAIL’s is dedicated to the craft of baking, and so it’s only natural that they’d offer a classic afternoon tea with sweet and savoury bites. Perfect for four people, there’s scones, Rodda’s Clotted Cream, their very own organic jam and lemon curd, delicious brownie fingers and Instagram-worthy honey cakes. When it comes to the savoury nibbles, there are smoked salmon and avocado sandwiches, avocado and egg sandwiches, and loose leaf Jing tea to wash it down. It costs £42 for four people with delivery in London only. They also offer a bake-at-home afternoon tea kit if you want to fill your kitchen with that delicious just-baked scone scent.

gailsbread.co.uk

Aqua Shard at Home Peter Pan Afternoon Tea

Missing your afternoon tea at a fancy location? Well, The Aqua Shard is now delivering their Peter Pan afternoon tea, available for delivery anywhere within the M25. Priced at £85, it is ideal for two people with sweet pastry biscuits, dark chocolate mousses, mini sandwiches, and varied range of bespoke teas on the menu. If you want an additional touch of luxury, you can add a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne for £28. With each order, a donation of £2 per person will be made to Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital. Deliveries are made on Saturdays and if refrigerated, the tea will still be suitable to eat on Sunday.