Planning a tea party menu for an afternoon tea party can be fairly simple with a little bit of planning. Depending on the occasion, your afternoon tea menu can be as sparse as tea and along with a cup cake or a teatime cake. Or it can include an elaborate menu that includes multiple types of juices, coffees, teas, cakes, finger sandwiches, pakora’s, chaats and other healthy treats. The afternoon teas have always played an important role in many large joint families, Kitty Parties and Women Club meets. So here in this article I am going to demystify the humongous thought of planning for an afternoon tea party.
Most always, we will need the number of guests who are invited for the afternoon tea party. Based on that we work on the whether we have enough tea cups, linen and bowls and platters to serve them.
Now to the Tea Party Menu Planning
First, decide what kind of tea party you are having. Will it be a dessert tea or the entire “full” afternoon tea with desserts and savories?
Will you serve your guests individually, on 3-tiered trays or will it be buffet style?
But personally, I believe that variety and small bites is the key to planning the menu for teatime parties. And here is how I like to plan them.
The First Round – “Dunk and Dip” and Opening Drink
Have a variety of Dips or Fondues and serve it along with some cut fruits, vegetables and cheese. Avoid the chips for the dips remember we are going healthy.
The Second Round – “The Platter”
Make small portions of Teatime Cakes or Scones. Have two sweet and two Savories or Chaats and plate them together for each guest. This way you know the exact number of pieces of cakes and savories you need to make, with no wastage and great budgeting as well. Remember most often in the chatters, along with the welcome drink and the Dunk and Dip Round, the platters will be over whelming. Hence plating them individually makes a lot of sense.
The Final Round - “Teas & Coffees” & The Special Cookie
Here is where you give a personal touch to your tea party where the food ends delicately. Have a teapot and offer a variety of teas or make you favorite masala chai. Do make sure to keep the sugar and milk by the side. And for those who like coffee you can brew some fresh coffee or a late.
And don’t miss out to arrange the coffee cups and saucers much before your guests arrive with a couple of cookies by the side of each saucer.
It cant get simpler than this to make a perfect simple tea party on a budget. Dont you think? Leave your comments below and tell us how you plan your tea parties.
