Sleepy History - Afternoon Tea

Episode Date: May 10, 2026

✨Sleepy History is written and narrated by humans. ✨ Narrated By: Simon Mattacks Written By: Jo Steer Afternoon tea emerged as a quiet pause in the rhythm of the day, a gentle ritual of warmth and conversation. From its early reputation of being an exotic beverage, barely known to Europe, the path to becoming one of the most popular everyday rituals is intriguing to say the least. Tonight, wander through the origins, rituals, and enduring charm of afternoon tea, as you drift into a peaceful and dream-filled sleep. Includes mentions of: History, Societal Norms #history #sleep #bedtime #tea #afternoontea #England #worldhistory About Sleepy History Explore history's most intriguing stories, people, places, events, and mysteries, delivered in a supremely calming atmosphere. If you struggle to fall asleep and you have a curious mind, Sleepy History is the perfect bedtime companion. Our stories will gently grasp your attention, pulling your mind away from any racing thoughts, making room for the soothing music and calming narration to guide you into a peaceful sleep. Want to enjoy Sleepy History ad-free? Start your 7-day free trial of Sleepy History Premium: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sleepyhistory.supercast.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have feedback or an episode request? Let us know at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠slumberstudios.com/contact⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sleepy History is a production of Slumber Studios. To learn more, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.slumberstudios.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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It's something that served across the country. A steaming pot of tea accompanied by an array of sweet and savourable. treats. To understand the origins of this tradition, we'll go back to the beginning, to the late 17th century, when tea first arrived in Britain. We'll see how this once exotic beverage became associated with traditions and rules of etiquette, and how the cravings of a Duchess left a lasting cultural impact. So just relax and let your mind drift. as we explore the sleepy history of the afternoon tea. Our story begins in 1662. This is the year that Catherine of Braganza married King Charles II.

He was the king of Scotland, Ireland and England, which then included Wales. Catherine herself was a Portuguese princess. Her father was King John IV of Portugal, one of the most important leaders in Europe. Through her arranged marriage, Catherine became Queen Consort of England, Scotland and Ireland. Today, Catherine is often remembered as the first tea-drinking queen of England. As was customary at the time, a dowry was to be paid upon marriage, a gift from the bride's family to her groom. Catherine's dowry was generous indeed.

It included the Portuguese territories of Bombay and Tangier, trading rights in Brazil, and a lump sum of two million Portuguese crowns. These were valuable assets and no doubt added to the appeal of the match. But that was a lot. And all, when the princess moved to England, it seems that she also brought something else with her, a box filled with dry tea leaves. Unknown to her or any at the time, these tea leaves would change English society. In fact, they would alter the culture and habits of the whole island, what would become the United Kingdom. Catherine, a young queen in a foreign country, must have treasured those sips of her favourite tea.

It would have been a comforting habit, that she had likely been used to drinking it daily in Portugal. The Portuguese had been importing tea to Europe since the start of the 17th century. But to the English, it was a rare, exotic import. Tea wasn't entirely unheard of when Catherine arrived, but it was very new and by no means common. In 1660, just two years before, the famed diarist Samuel Pepys wrote about trying his first ever cup. So, we can't give Catherine all of the credit. Or say that she alone introduced England to tea. We can say rather that she popularised it.

Because soon after her arrival in London, Catherine's favourite drink was being sipped throughout court. It became fashionable among welter-do ladies who sought to replicate the habits of the Queen. We should also consider the timing of Catherine's arrival. In recent years, England had endured one of the most of the most of the most of herald. most turbulent periods in its history. The monarchy had been abandoned, and the country had become a de facto republic. This was led by Oliver Cromwell,

a devout Puritan, who valued hard work and piety above all else. He aimed to reform the nation's morals by closing theatres and inns. Many sports and celebrations. celebrations were also banned. In Cromwell's England, there had been no place for fun, frivolity, pleasure, or indulgence. The coronation of Charles II, a year before his marriage, marked the return of a ruling king. It's often referred to today as the Restoration Monarchy.

Charles's reign offered a return to normality, an end to the moment. the chaos of the preceding years. The public must have sighed in relief as buildings were reopened and bands lifted. In Charles' England, godliness and enjoyment were no longer at odds. Once again, people were allowed their simple pleasures. This is the world into which Catherine arrived, along with her tea habit. It was just the right time for a tasty new drink. And a new ritual.

The tea was imported from China, where its history stretched back hundreds, if not thousands of years. To this day, tea remains an important part of Chinese culture, as do the rituals around it. It's possible that in the 17th century, word, of elaborate Chinese tea ceremonies reached England. But whether or not English tea drinkers were directly inspired by the Chinese, they gradually came up with their own rituals and rules of etiquette. In the late 17th century, tea was generally enjoyed by women, either in a private boudoir or a room called the closet. This was a small room but gorgeously decorated. It was well suited to entertaining friends. The tea set would be kept within this

room and displayed on its own designated tea table. Some sets might be kept within a decorative wooden box, while others were left out on opulent tea trays. The set included delicate, beautifully decorated pieces, including Chinese porcelain that had been. imported. Water would be heated at the fireplace and then poured into a porcelain teapot onto a scattering of dry tea leaves. The tea would be left to brew for five or so minutes. And then it would be poured through a tea strainer into delicate porcelain cups. Unlike the Chinese, the English added milk to their tea, perhaps to soften the flavor.

Another possible explanation is that many porcelain teacups were delicate. The addition of milk helped to cool down the porcelain and reduced the risk of the cup cracking. Milk was also thought to be healthy. According to medical theory at the time, it was a digestive aid that could prevent disease. and support the inner working of the body. Tea itself was thought to have countless medical benefits. It was said to have the power to cure headaches, asthma and colds, to strengthen memory and boost energy.

In the 17th century, it also became common to add a spoonful of sugar to one's cup of tea, though this wasn't believed to be healthy. Like tea, sugar was an expensive and exotic import, available only to the wealthy few. It was gaining popularity as a sweetener in food and helped to counteract the tea's sometimes bitter taste. With its reputation as a medicinal beverage, the refined rituals surrounding it and the taste of the drink itself, it's no wonder that tea-drinking gained momentum. By the early 18th century, it was commonly enjoyed among the upper classes, and ladies in particular. Gentlemen often drank coffee, which was served in the coffee houses that had sprung up from the mid-1600s.

These were the important social spaces of the age. Men would discuss news, philosophy, science and politics, all while sipping on hot, fresh coffee. Women, in contrast, took tea in the home and were generally barred from entering such establishments. At the time, men and women were believed to inhabit two very different spheres. Men belonged in the public sphere, work, politics, discussion, and debate. Women were expected to remain in the private sphere, which revolved around children and the home. The coffee house, therefore, was the domain of men, a symbol of the divide between the sexes. However, a tea-loving businessman was about to offer ladies a foot in the door, so to speak.

Thomas Twining was not the first coffeehouse owner to sell tea in England, but he was arguably the most passionate. Twining was the son of a weaver and had initially followed in his father's footsteps. But later, while working as an apprentice for an East India company merchant, he became interested in tea. In 1706, Twining opened up a London coffee house, which also sold tea. The competition between businesses was fierce, but Twining's love of tea gave him the edge over other coffeehouses. It also proved highly profitable. Tea was a luxury good, and Twining's gunpowder green tea sold for the equivalent of around £160 per 100 grams of tea.

Twining quickly gained a reputation among elite circles. London's upper-class ladies would queue outside his coffee house in their gilded carriages. while their footmen went inside to collect their tea orders. An ambitious and innovative businessman, Twining used the profits to purchase three adjacent buildings. Then, in 1717, he opened the Golden Lion. It was possibly the world's first ever shop selling both dry tea and coffee. What's more, it was open to men,

and women. Twining helped to normalize women shopping for tea and drinking it in public. According to a later account, great ladies used to flock to Twining's house in Devereaux Court in order to sip the enlivening beverage in very small China cups. Catherine of Braganza had popularized tea, and later Thomas Twining had made it more available. But it still maintained its exclusive price tag

and was unaffordable for the majority of society. It became a mark of status among the aristocracy to offer tea to visiting guests. The drink was even included in family portraits. Paintings showed children, and adults sipping tea from their small China cups. Tea drinking was seen as a mark of good taste, as only the very wealthy could afford such a habit.

Between 1720 and 1750, the British East India Company more than quadrupled imports of tea. In fact, it became the company's primary focus, with entire fleets dedicated to its import. As a result, tea gradually became more accessible. Lords and ladies continued to take tea in their opulent drawing rooms and country gardens, but now, on occasion, the drink was also enjoyed by their servants, and even the poorest members of society.

The social reformer John Hanway wrote about this in 1767. According to Hanway, labourers mending roads would sip tea as they worked, as would farmhounds moving hay about the fields. He even described a certain lane where homeless beggars could be seen drinking tea. It was no longer the reserve of the privileged few. Nonetheless, on the whole, tea remained something of a luxury, as it continued to be taxed heavily. For most of the 18th century, tea was much more expensive than coffee. This made it a profitable business for smugglers.

At one point, it's thought that more than 3,000 tons of tea was smuggled into Britain each year. Then, in 1784, the British Parliament passed the Commutation Act. This lowered the tax on T significantly, from 119% to 12.5%, and helped to end smuggling. Now that it was so much more affordable, T became increasingly widespread. It was one of Britain's most popular imports. above alcohol, sugar, and even chocolate. By this point in history, tea was helping to fuel the British economy.

What's more, drinking tea had become so habitual that it started to be viewed as something traditional, or even patriotic, something truly British. The price drop would continue throughout the 19th century. Coffee also became more affordable, but didn't enjoy the same popularity as tea. The working classes were known to dilute their tea quite heavily, and, unlike coffee, watered down tea retained its flavour. Black tea was more common than green tea, being arguably more palatable with milk and sugar.

The drink also had legitimate health benefits. As the water in tea was boiled, it killed off any waterborne diseases and made tea a safe choice of drink. And of course, in an often wet and cold climate, a warm cup of tea was a welcome comfort. As we've seen, tea drinking was originally an upper class habit, a fairly formal activity. Even as it became more widespread throughout society, it retained certain associations. Tea drinking was often treated as a ritual, and there were certain rules of etiquette. If a lady was hosting, for instance, then she should be the one to pour from the teapot. Once the drinks had been poured, the teapot should be positioned at the centre of the table.

with its spout facing towards the hostess. Etiquette dictated that in order to stir the tea, the spoon should be moved gently back and forth between the 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock positions in the cup. Stirring in a circular motion was considered a faux par. After stirring, the spoon should be removed from the cup and left on the saucer. The cup should then be removed

raised to the mouth with the saucer left on the table. Sips should be delicate and polite, with the cup placed back onto the saucer between each sip. And while drinking, one should look only at the cup. We can't say for certain how or when these rules originated. Perhaps some can be traced to the earliest days of tea-drinking, while others were Victorian developments. Here's one theory about another tea-drinking tradition. In the past, it used to be considered elegant to extend one's little finger, or pinky-finger, while drinking tea. Some of the first tea-drinkers in Britain would have drunk from porcelain cups imported from China,

which came without handles. So, the tea-drinker had to spread their hand around the cup, perhaps raising their little finger to help with balance. There are other theories too, but whatever the reason, for some time people would drink tea with their fingers raised as a sign of sophistication. By the mid-19th century, A cup of tea was not just a drink.

It often came with a whole set of traditions and expectations. Around this time, the lower and middle classes began the tradition of taking tea with their meal, referred to as high tea. This isn't to be confused with the far more formal version. It was named as such because it was eaten at a high table as a pre-table, as opposed to something lower like a coffee table. High tea was essentially the evening meal, usually eaten between 5 and 7pm.

Food varied depending on the diner's budget. Those who could afford it might enjoy a selection of meat dishes, while others would dine on bread and cheese, washed down with tea. It's likely that in wealthy, households too, tea was sometimes served alongside a light meal. The tradition wasn't formalized, however, until the 1840s, and a certain Duchess began to take afternoon tea. Anna Maria Russell, the Duchess of Bedford, was a lady in waiting to Queen Victoria, and a close friend of the monarch.

The Duchess is said to have complained of a sinking feeling between the hours of four and five o'clock. This seems quite natural, considering the regime of the average wealthy Victorian, the day would begin with a large breakfast, with a light lunch served around 12 o'clock. The evening meal might not be served until around 8pm, which explains. why the Duchess was feeling hungry. Her solution to this was afternoon tea, or an early precursor to the modern more indulgent version. It might have included cakes or pastries and a small selection of sandwiches. Any food served would have probably been dainty and elegant. It was what today we might call finger food. because it can be eaten easily without cutlery.

The Duchess found this to be the cure to her hunger, and, soon enough, she had a regular habit of tea and food at around four o'clock each day. Initially, these meals were private occasions. They were for the Duchess alone or her closest female friends, but one day it's thought that she invited a famous, actress named Fanny Kemble to one of her private gatherings. According to some accounts, Campbell then began to host her own afternoon teas,

helping to popularize the concept. In one way or another, the practice began to spread throughout aristocratic circles. And not long after, Queen Victoria herself became fond of the ritual. She was known to take afternoon tea on the terrace of Osborne House, her residence on the Isle of White. The Victoria Sandwich Cake, also known as the Victoria Sponge, was named after her, as it was apparently one of the Queen's favourites. It was a sweet cake sandwich of light golden sponge with a layer of strawberry jam spread in between. Afternoon tea soon became fashionable among upper-class ladies. When women had started drinking tea in the 17th century, in part it was to copy Queen Catherine's example.

And now they sought to do so again by emulating Queen Victoria and the trend-setting Duchess. In London especially, well-to-do ladies began hosting afternoon teas. Guests were invited to dine in their drawing rooms or outside in the garden when weather permitted. Men were sometimes invited to join in, to eat, drink, and gossip among the ladies. On occasions such as these, afternoon tea was a social event, though some preferred to take it alone. The 19th century novelist George Gissing wrote of the pleasure this might provide. In an autobiographical novel, he describes coming home after a long and tiring walk and exchanging his walking boots for soft and comfy slippers.

He swaps his outdoor coat for an easy, shabby jacket. Then he sits in his chair to await. the tea tray. Gissing describes afternoon tea as a festival and one of the shining moments of his day as a sense that it marks a turning point in the day when the work is done and one can finally relax and gissing wasn't the only one who dressed down for the occasion. From the 1870s to the 1920s it was common for ladies to wear a tea gown. This new type of garment was a little like an evening gown, though far less rigid.

Most had a train draped loosely at the back and long, flowing sleeves. Tea gowns were made from luxury fabrics, often in shades that match the lady's parlour. They were soft and lightweight and fairly loose fitting. And like many outfits at the time, they could be worn without a corset, which must have been quite a relief. These gowns were acceptable attire for a private meal at home. So women could free themselves of the corset for afternoon tea and then continue in comfort for the rest of the day. In the 1860s, a chain of tea rooms. known as the ABC tea shop opened in London.

By the early 1920s, there seemed to have been about 250 branches, alongside similar establishments across the country. Many tea rooms were expertly designed and proved popular with female customers. In Victorian times, they were one of the few places where women could dine in public without a male escort. Tea rooms provided a safe haven, a place where women could meet and socialize without supervision.

They were one of the few venues in which women might engage in real political discussion. Suffragists and suffragettes began meeting in tea rooms from the late 19th century onwards, and when women received equal voting rights in 1928, it was a result in part of activism that had first begun as conversations, conversations that were often held in tea rooms. The food offered in such establishments varied from place to place. In general, though, it wasn't dissimilar to the light finger food enjoyed by the Duchess of Bedford.

Many offered a traditional cream tea, sometimes referred to as a Devonshire or Cornish cream tea. This indulgent treat originates from England's southwest and became widespread in the 19th century. A cream tea consists of a freshly baked scone. You might also know this as a scone. Britain remains divided as to the correct pronunciation of this delicious treat. The scone is served with thick, clotted cream and a fruit jam,

and of course it's accompanied by a warm pot of tea. Afternoon tea was also served not only in tea rooms, but in posh hotels such as the Ritz, which elevated the experience into something more, luxurious. Afternoon tea gained a reputation as a celebratory meal, something for a special occasion. In the 20th century, it became fashionable to have afternoon tea in a chic hotel. The elegant surroundings would naturally enhance the dining experience. The meal itself remained elegant and dainty, but was certainly more indulgent.

It was usually served on a three-tier cake stand. The smaller plates at the top of the stand displayed a range of delicious sandwiches. These included a variety of fillings, such as cucumber, egg and cress, and ham with mustard. Sandwiches were served without the crusts in small, narrow strips. On the middle plate were the scones with clotted cream and jam. The traditional cream tea served in the southwest had gradually become incorporated into afternoon tea. The plate at the bottom of the stand had cakes, pastries and other desserts. The food would be accompanied by loose-leaf black tea, so

served in fine China cups. To some, afternoon tea was a way to dine like lords and ladies, and it remained a ceremony, bound by rules and etiquette. Food was usually eaten as it was displayed, from top to bottom of the cake stand, sandwiches first, followed by scones, then finishing with sweet treats from the bottom. The traditional tea-drinking etiquette still applied, though it was now a no-no to raise one's little finger.

This gesture came to be viewed as affected. It was also considered bad manners to dunk food into the tea or to have food in one's mouth while sipping. When faced with a cream tea, many people today might cut the scone in half, but traditional The final etiquette is to place the scone on one's plate and to tear off small bite-sized pieces. Jam and cream should then be spread onto each piece before eating. Although there is a debate as to which should be spread first. Jam followed by cream or cream followed by jam. Finally, it was considered good etiquette to eat and drink in a slow,

slow, leisurely manner, alternating between sips and bites. Afternoon tea encouraged people to remain present, to taste, savour, and truly appreciate the experience. This brings us to the present day, where afternoon tea remains a popular British pastime, and it's now enjoyed all around the world, as people everywhere look to recreate its charm. It's still served with all its formalities in glitzy tea rooms and hotels. Elsewhere, it appears at social gatherings, an elegant treat to enjoy among friends. But while afternoon tea has retained its reputation as a celebratory treat, on the whole, it's lost most of the rules and formalities. For the most part, nowadays, there's no dress code required, and you can sip your tea however you wish.

What it stands for still is friendship and comfort. It's a time to slow down and appreciate the food, the tea and the people around us.