Autumn Tea in the Parlor

Yesterday I welcomed autumn with an afternoon tea for my friend Lane who has been going through very stressful times.  She definitely needed something to help her relax and spend a few peaceful moments...enjoying the tastes of autumn.  Her mother and her mother-in-law are both critically ill, and...her grandmother is in the final stages of Alzheimer's.  She travels 240 miles to Miami to visit these ladies and on top of that, she is raising three children.

I gathered together the tea accoutrements in the kitchen...

The teapot is being  "warmed" with hot water from the tap.  I chose to serve Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice Rooibus tea.  Rooibus tea is produced in South Africa and this pumpkin-infused tea has a sweet and nutty flavor.  Rooibus tea is caffeine-free and high in antioxidants, rich in vitamins, and natural minerals.

Pumpkin pastries from Starbucks...pumpkin cake, pumpkin & cream cheese muffins, and pumpkin scones.  They were all delicious!

Tea in the Parlor is also called a "Low Tea."  Tea may be served in the parlor/living room with guests sitting on the sofa and the coffee table or tea table used to hold the tea tray.

Lane decided that she would like a "Tea Etiquette tutorial," so that is how we spent the afternoon.  I explained to her everything she needed to know...from taking your seat to leaving the room.

There are three forms of tea:  Loose tea, tea sachets, and teabags.  I really love tea sachets because they have the full tea leaves and remain convenient to use.  The boiled water is poured over the tea sachets into the teacups and steeped for 3-5 minutes,  When the desired strength of tea is achieved, the tea sachets are placed onto the teabag caddies.

Tea plates with treats may remain on the table or placed on top of the napkin on your lap.  The tea cup and saucer may also remain on the table or may be held in the palm of your left hand.  Remember that the teacup and saucer are never more than 12" apart {never pick up the teacup from the table without the saucer}.

A "Low Tea" is an easy way to host afternoon tea and a gracious gesture of hospitality.

Pursue and practice hospitality.
~ Romans 12:13

Tea With Miss Janice, Post #8

When you are planning a tea event, it's important to decide the style of tea service you will host. For 1-4 friends, tea may be served in the parlor. A formal, seated tea at the dining room table is an elegant way to serve afternoon tea for up to ten guests. A buffet-style tea would be the best way to serve tea for a large crowd.

Tea in the Parlor

Tea may be served in the parlor/living room with guests sitting on a sofa and the coffee table or tea table used to hold the tea tray and tea accoutrements. The hostess would pour the tea, asking each guest, "How would you like your tea?" If the guest replies "Weak," the hostess would pour the teacup 1/2 full of tea, then add hot water and sugar/honey, lemon, or milk, if requested. The hostess would then serve the guests tea food on tea plates along with a serviette and flatware. A teaspoon is placed on the saucer only if sugar or milk is requested. The serviette is opened fully and placed on the leg area just above the knees and the tea plate would rest on the serviette. Remember that the teacup and saucer should be held in the palm of the left hand and they are never more than 12" apart. Between tasting the dainty tea food and sipping the tea, relax and make pleasant conversation.

Tea in the Parlor--sometimes called "Low Tea" (served from the coffee table)

Tea in the Parlor

Formal Seated Tea at the Dining Room Table

If you are planning a seated tea at the dining room table, the hostess would sit at the head of the table and the guest of honor would be seated to the right of the hostess. All guests should stand behind their chair until the guest of honor has been seated. Enter your chair from the right side of the chair. After you are seated, the hostess might say Grace and then place her serviette on her lap. At that time, you would place your serviette on your lap.


A sideboard may be used to hold the teapots and other tea accoutrements. The hostess pours the tea for each guest and serves them individually from the right-hand side of the guest. (Teacups and saucers are never passed around the table). After all the guests have been served tea, the hostess serves herself and the tea begins.



Each guest is responsible for serving themselves the tea food from the three-tiered tea trays. Tea food is placed on the tray in a certain order, starting on the bottom with the savories, then the scones, and the sweets would be placed on the top tray. The tea foods are then eaten in that order: savories, scones, and sweets.

Formal Seated Tea at the Dining Room Table

Buffet-Style Tea

If you are planning an afternoon tea for a large crowd, it's best to prepare the hot water in an electric urn and then pour the water into teapots containing the loose tea/tea sachets, when needed. The table should be set up to accommodate two services; coffee service and a pourer at one end and tea service and a pourer at the other end. The coffee service consists of a coffee pot, a sugar bowl with sugar cubes and sugar tongs, and a creamer with cream. The tea service consists of a teapot, a pot of hot water, a sugar bowl with sugar cubes and sugar tongs, and a creamer with milk. Small crystal bowls and tiny teaspoons are needed for the preserves, curd, and clotted cream. You will also need a small plate for the thinly sliced lemons along with a lemon fork. The teacups, saucers, and teaspoons should be placed near the tea service and the coffee service. The table should be covered with a white table cloth and a fresh floral arrangement. Candles may be used only if the draperies are drawn shut. Guests may proceed through a receiving line and enter the serving area for tea. Tea plates, knives, forks, and tea serviettes are placed on the table and guests serve themselves the tea food that has been placed on silver platters, buffet-style. Then, each guest will receive their tea or coffee from the pourers and proceed into another room to be seated. It is perfectly proper to place a few dainty tea foods on the side of the saucer if you need to stand during the tea.

Buffet-Style Tea

I hope you are learning new things about Afternoon Tea and are feeling more comfortable about hosting a tea event. Please join me again tomorrow--I will discuss the proper etiquette of introductions, name badges, hats and gloves at tea, and receiving line etiquette.

Tea With Miss Janice, Post #7

Hello, and thank you for visiting with me today. This month, I have been blogging all about tea to celebrate National Hot Tea Month. Today I will address some steps to take when preparing for a tea event.

After your invitations have been mailed, you should begin to prepare for the day of your event. Will you be hosting a tea in your parlor for 1-4 guests, or maybe a formal, seated tea at the dining room table for 3-7 guests? If you are planning a large event in your home, a buffet-style tea would be the best way to serve tea.

Whatever choice you make, remember that the tea food may and should be prepared in advance. Don't feel like you need to serve only homemade tea foods. Purchasing scones and sweets from a bakery will save you a lot of time and you will feel less stress when your guests arrive. For an afternoon tea, you should serve savories, scones, and sweets. These foods may be placed on a tiered tray at a seated tea, with the savories on the bottom, the scones on the middle tray, and the sweets on the top tray. If you are having a buffet-style tea, you may use tiered trays, silver trays, or other beautiful trays that you may have to hold the tea foods. For tea in the parlor, any type of appropriate teaware may be used.

Depending on the size of your guest list, you may use teapots for a small group or you might use a tea urn for a large group. To serve loose, steeped tea to a small group of guests, first, heat the teapot with hot water. Then pour out that water into a waste bowl and place one teaspoon per cup of loose tea into the pot, adding "one for the pot." Allow the tea to steep. Place a tea strainer over the teacup. Ask your guest, "Would you like tea? ...Would you like your tea weak or strong?" If the guest prefers weak tea, pour only a half cup of the steeped tea into the cup, then add hot water to the tea, no more than 3/4 cup full. Now you would ask, "Would you like sugar, lemon/milk?" If the guest requests sugar, ask, "One lump or two?" (Always use sugar cubes at teatime). Cream is never served with tea, as it is too rich for the delicate tea flavor, so if guests request milk, remember that the milk always goes in last, and ask "A spot or a dash?" Gently stir the tea with a teaspoon and then place the teaspoon behind the handle of the teacup.


To serve tea to a large group of guests using an electric urn (coffee maker), clean the urn with vinegar and fill it with cold water. Allow three cups of tea per guests. A 50-cup urn will need 25 teabags. Put in the center post and basket, place the teabags into the basket, and turn the urn on. Leave the teabags in the basket until you need to steep more tea; then remove the used teabags and add more cold water and teabags. Pour the steeped tea into the teacups. If you are using an urn to just heat the water, place three teabags inside each five-six cup teapot and pour the water from the urn into the teapots to steep the tea.

Before your guests arrive, your table should be set and ready, with all the tea accoutrements available. A tablecloth should always be used to cover the table at afternoon tea. Centerpieces should be kept at a low height for a seated tea, but may be dramatic for a buffet-style tea. Remember to practice proper candle etiquette and draw the draperies shut when you burn candles at afternoon tea.

Thank you again for stopping by today; tomorrow I will explain the service used at each type of tea: A formal seated tea, a buffet-style tea, and a tea in the parlor.