High tea: what it is and how it differs from afternoon tea

High tea is a hearty early evening meal of hot dishes, bread, cheese and cake served with strong tea, originally eaten by working households around a high dining table. Afternoon tea is the lighter, daintier meal of finger sandwiches, scones and cakes. Today many menus use high tea as another name for afternoon tea.

What is high tea?

High tea is a substantial meal eaten in the early evening, usually between about 5 pm and 7 pm, with tea as the drink. It was the main meal of the day for many working families in Britain, especially in northern England and Scotland.

A traditional high tea might include a hot dish such as a pie, fish with potatoes, eggs on toast or a savoury pudding, followed by bread and butter, cheese, pickles, jam and cake. The tea was strong, black and drunk with milk. The word “tea” in these regions still means the evening meal, which is why some people say “what’s for tea?” meaning dinner.

What is afternoon tea, and how does it differ?

Afternoon tea is a light social meal in mid-afternoon of finger sandwiches, scones with jam and clotted cream, and small cakes, served with tea. It was not designed to replace dinner.

Where does the name high tea come from?

The usual explanation is that high tea is named for the high dining table where it was eaten, as opposed to the low tables used for afternoon tea. Another idea is that “high” marks it as the main meal of the day.

Historians do not all agree on these explanations, and the exact origin is uncertain. What is clear is that high tea belonged to the practical routines of the evening, while afternoon tea was a leisure meal. Afternoon tea is often linked to the nineteenth century and the Duchess of Bedford, though that story is partly legend.

Why do the names get mixed up?

The names are mixed up because “high” sounds grander, and hotels, tour guides and visitors started using high tea for a fancy afternoon tea stand. The habit stuck, and menus often print it without checking the old meaning.

In Britain, tea rooms in cities such as Oxford usually offer afternoon tea even when the sign says high tea. Elsewhere, such as parts of Australia, Hong Kong and North America, high tea is the common name for the tiered-stand experience. Both uses are now widely understood, so it is worth reading the menu description instead of relying on the name.

What is a cream tea, and where does it fit?

A cream tea is a simpler afternoon tea consisting of scones, jam, clotted cream and a pot of tea. It sits below a full afternoon tea in size and price.

• Cream tea: scones, jam, clotted cream, tea.
• Afternoon tea: sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea.
• High tea: a hot evening meal with tea.

Menus that say high tea almost always mean the second item, and only rarely the third. The scone is the shared element of both afternoon tea and cream tea.

What does The Rose Cafe list: afternoon tea or high tea?

The Rose Cafe in Oxford lists afternoon tea, not high tea. A March 2023 Cherwell review describes a traditional afternoon tea with finger sandwiches, cake, scones with clotted cream and a hot drink, and Deliveroo lists it at £22.50 per person.

That price is quoted from search results because the Deliveroo page could not be read, and shop prices may differ. The menu also records a Cream Tea at £13.00, and a hot breakfast and lunch menu with hot salads, ciabatta and a burger, which a hearty meal seeker might choose instead. Hot food is served until 6 PM according to the 2023 review, and Google Maps shows opening from 8 AM to 6 PM every day. No hot evening service is recorded, so a true high tea is not on offer after hours.

See the menu page for what is recorded, and the hours and location page for the address at 51 High St, Oxford OX1 4AS. This guide is independent and takes no orders.

Can you have high tea today?

Yes. You can have a high tea by ordering a hot dish with bread and tea in the early evening, or by calling a hearty tea-time meal by that name at home. Some village halls, church halls and traditional cafes in northern England and Scotland still serve a proper tea.

For a modern home version, put something hot on the table, such as eggs on toast, baked potatoes with cheese or a fish pie, and serve it with bread and butter, a plate of cake and a pot of strong tea. It is more like a family supper than a party, which is the point of the old meal.

How do you host an afternoon tea at home and call it high tea?

You can host a tiered stand at home and call it either name. The food matters more than the label.

1. Make sandwich fillings such as cucumber, egg mayonnaise and cheese.
2. Bake scones and serve them warm with jam and clotted cream.
3. Add a cake, a plate of biscuits and a pot of tea.
4. Add a hot item, such as mini quiches or sausage rolls made from chicken, if you want a nod to the heartier high tea.

Guests will understand the idea either way. If you want to be exact, say afternoon tea for the light stand, and high tea only for the hot early evening meal.

What foods suit a modern high tea?

A modern high tea suits hot, filling dishes that can be made in advance and served with bread, butter and a pot of strong tea. Think of a family supper at the end of the working day.

• Hot dishes: fish pie, cheese on toast, scrambled eggs, baked potatoes with cheese, or a chicken and leek pie.
• Cold plates: cheese, cold chicken, pickles, salad and bread.
• Sweet things: fruit cake, buttered teacakes, jam tarts or a simple sponge.

The tea itself is usually a strong black blend, made in a large pot and drunk with milk. The meal is informal, and there is no tiered stand or special etiquette, which is another difference from afternoon tea.

How do menus describe high tea today?

Menus that say high tea almost always describe a tiered stand of sandwiches, scones and cakes. A few add hot items such as sausage rolls or mini pies, and the word hot or savoury is the clue to a true high tea.

When you read a menu, check the contents rather than the name. If it lists finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and cakes, it is an afternoon tea. If it lists a hot main dish and bread, it is closer to the traditional high tea. A phone call to the venue settles any doubt, and it is the safest way to avoid disappointment.

Common questions

This page is part of the independent guide to The Rose Cafe, which has the address, hours and menu.

This article is general information from an independent guide, not from The Rose Cafe itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.