Afternoon tea conjures up tea at the Ritz – elegance, sophistication and dainty treats, beautifully arranged on finest bone china. Be it in a café, a friend’s kitchen, a five star hotel or in the garden, afternoon tea is a wonderful way to entertain. 

We will share with you our favourite sweet treats to serve at tea-time, be it a casual cuppa with family in the kitchen and steaming plate of hotcakes; a batch of cupcakes – lemon meringue or coffee buttercream perhaps – to take to a friend’s house; or an elegant afternoon tea on the lawn in the summer sun, replete with a chest of sandwiches, macaroons, delicate madeleines, a light airy sponge cake with raspberries, cream and rose petals...

Nowadays tea is far more than just a cup of Barry’s. Traditional Indian black teas, like Earl Grey, Darjeeling and Lapsang, green Japanese Matcha and Chinese white tea are finding ever-greater popularity. We love our tea in Ireland – we drink more of it than anyone in the world, except the Chinese! In fact it’s officially the new coffee: Starbucks have recently opened the first Tea Bar in New York, single estate teas are a big buzz, and there is a growing interest in quality and provenance and pairing special teas with particular foods. 

For those who want to boost their knowledge, we will cover the history of tea, how different teas are produced, how to blend and brew each to perfection, and how to use different teas as a flavouring in other recipes. 

This course is a great introduction for those with dreams of starting a café, hosting pop up tea parties, catering, and everyone who loves a good cup of tea and slice of cake.

“I thoroughly enjoyed the course and learned a lot, I’ve used some of the recipes already and really enjoyed them'.” Student feedback
 

What you’ll learn about

• Watch as we show you an amazing selection of cakes, biscuits and sandwiches to go on your Afternoon Tea table.
• How to make the perfect cup of tea.
• The importance of sourcing the best ingredients for the best results
• Tips for forward planning and saving time
• How to make your food look as good as it tastes 

Course elements

• A demonstration session, showing how dishes are prepared from scratch. Teachers share a wealth of knowledge through their expert tips and techniques. Students can ask questions throughout the live stream demonstration. 

Good to know

•    A pack of the recipes will be provided for your ongoing reference 
•    We run this course several times a year.