Competition brewing for afternoon teas

Sweet and savory treats at the Kensington Hotel.  [Photo provided to China Daily]

All things British

Afternoon tea conjures up a bygone age of English aristocratic refinement, luxury and leisure.

Attributed to the duchess of Bedford in the mid-1840s, it came about as a way for the elite to fill the gap between lunch and increasingly late formal dinners.

It is typically served in three rounds on plates stacked on a holder: sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, and a selection of desserts or cakes - plus, of course, the tea.

"Afternoon tea was all about accentuating the tea: tea was the expensive product," says Max "Mr Tea" Eisenhammer, of the Rare Tea Company, which supplies Claridge's hotel and the Noma restaurant in Copenhagen.

He visits hotels to ensure they are serving the tea properly, through the correct leaf-to-water ratio, water temperature and infusion time for each different tea.

"We provide training. People who go to afternoon tea are expecting the best," he says.

Newton says the afternoon tea sector had witnessed strong year-on-year growth, leading some outlets to try shaking up the formula in a bid to stay ahead.

"For foreign visitors, it's on their list of things to do - but most of our business is actually from people within the UK," he says.

"We've seen a big rise since 2012 when we had Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee and the London Olympics: there was a massive interest in all things British."

Prices can cost from $13 to more than $65 at the top hotels.