Afternoon Tea Week runs from 11 to 17 August this year. What more of an excuse do you need to enjoy this great British tradition? Here are a few tips to make your afternoon tea extra special.

Make it yourself, make it local

Traditional afternoon tea treats include finger sandwiches, scones with jam and cream and cakes. Traditionally delicate mini-cakes are served with afternoon tea.

Try to make as much of your afternoon tea as you can yourself. (It’s okay to cheat just a little bit if you need to.)

Try to use local ingredients whenever possible, so look for local ham, jam and eggs.

The more the merrier 

While there’s nothing wrong with tea for two, more people mean more conversation, more laughs and more fun.

So why not invite a few guests? You could ask relatives you’ve not seen for a while, or neighbours or work colleagues. (Who said you can’t have afternoon tea at work?)

To add to the fun, and spread the cost, you could ask each of your guests to bring a different dish.

Another idea is to make it a fundraiser. Ask for donations for a local charity or good cause.

If you’re inviting others, do some research and try to cater to all tastes and dietary preferences. Not everybody likes lashings of cream.

Go to town with the tea

With afternoon tea the clue is in the name. You have to have tea. No coffee ever.

Splash out and serve a speciality tea if you can. Earl Grey is the classic afternoon tea. You could also try Assam, Oolong or Darjeeling.

If you’ve never tried it before, serve your tea with lemon instead of milk. Or try green tea or fruit teas.

You could also offer your guests iced tea. It’s great for summer afternoon get-togethers.

If you want to serve a glass of fizz or that other summer classic – lemonade – that’s fine. But you have to have tea as well.

We hope you’ve found these afternoon tea ideas interesting and inspiring. Have a great afternoon tea!

If you know someone whose afternoon needs brightening up, please share these ideas with them.