The Art of Hosting an Elegant High Tea
High tea is more than just a meal—it’s a celebration of tradition, elegance, and the joy of sharing good food with loved ones. Whether it’s for Mother’s Day, a birthday, or simply to enjoy a moment of luxury, hosting a high tea can be a delightful experience. With the right recipes, décor, and setting, you can create an atmosphere that feels both refined and welcoming.
Tips for Hosting a Fanciful High Tea
According to renowned Australian fashion designer Fleur Wood, high tea is an opportunity to bring out the treasures from your grandmother’s collection. “It’s a really nice opportunity to get out all of your mother or grandmother’s old china and silver tea pots,” she says. “That’s what I like about hosting these sort of events — you get to use beautiful things we don’t use in our daily lives.”
Wood also suggests that the event should be a chance to dress up and feel glamorous. She recommends wearing a floral frock or vintage dress to match the ambiance. When it comes to décor, she advises mixing styles to avoid looking too ‘ye oldy world’ or too ‘shabby chic.’ For baby showers, she adds, it’s best to avoid traditional blues and pinks.
Flowers are essential for creating a warm and inviting environment. Tea roses or orchids work well, and music can enhance the mood. Wood recommends a French band like Nouvelle Vague or artists such as Ricky Lee Jones. A compilation titled “So Frenchy, So Chic” is also a great choice.
Jill Jones-Evans, owner of The Victoria Room Tea Salon in Sydney, highlights the importance of planning the menu. “With high tea there really is a lot of preparation involved,” she notes. “Give yourself plenty of time if you don’t want to be in the kitchen cutting up sandwiches.” However, she adds that much of the preparation can be done in advance, making the event more relaxed.
Jones-Evans encourages creativity when it comes to the menu. “You could do an Italian-inspired high tea or make another kind of cuisine the focus, even Indian, for example. My grandmother used to serve high teas in the Scottish highlands in the 1960s and then it was all about the pork pies. So, feel free to include things like gourmet sausage rolls and pies — it doesn’t have to be all sandwiches and scones.”
Even the scones can be modernized. The new Victoria Room Tea Salon in Westfield Sydney CBD offers a ‘specialty scone menu’ with ten unique flavors, including lavender, white chocolate and cranberry, savory pumpkin and ginger, and cheddar and thyme. The date and orange scone served with Sicilian marmalade is a big hit, and take-home packs of six scones are popular among guests.
Setting the Scene
Correct settings are crucial for a successful high tea. Jones-Evans emphasizes the importance of using lovely high tea stands and good tea ware. “You definitely want to have lovely high tea stands and good tea ware but it doesn’t need to cost a lot,” she says. “You can mix and match from op shops and Vinnies. I think that mismatched vintage look is great. Definitely use real linen, cloth napkins and flowers. Other nice touches are things like sugar cubes with silver sugar tongs.”
Good quality loose-leaf tea in pots is essential. “Definitely no tea bags,” pleads Jones-Evans. A mix of one black, one herbal, and one green tea is a good place to start to ensure all tastes are catered for.
Jones-Evans also suggests sending proper invitations by post rather than through text or email. “It’s all a bit old-fashioned and old school so why not start with that? Just think how excited you are when you get a proper letter or invitation in the post these days.”
A Collection of High Tea Recipes
For those looking to create their own high tea, there are countless recipes to choose from. From classic scones to creative finger sandwiches, there’s something for every taste. Here are some standout options:
- Vintage cake with apple & Swiss meringue buttercream – Apple pie gets a layer cake glow-up in this stunning recipe. It’s guaranteed to wow your party guests.
- Devilled eggs – A retro favourite that’s perfect for any occasion.
- Fancy finger sandwiches for a high tea – Ideal for entertaining, picnics, or a Mother’s Day spread.
- Lemony madeleines with white chocolate topping – Shell-shaped sponge cakes with a citrus twist.
- Blinis with smoked salmon – These mini pancakes are smokin!
- Mini fetta & mushroom pies – Moreish bites that are hard to resist.
- Over-the-top chocolate and macadamia brownies – Take brownies to the next level with two types of chocolate and buttery macadamias.
- Passionfruit melting moments – Delicate bites filled with tangy passionfruit cream.
- Hummingbird cakes – Moist tropical cakes.
- Classic lamingtons – A bit of a process but so worth it!
