It turns out, Afternoon Tea and High Tea are not the same thing and are the opposite of what I thought they were. I was curious about Afternoon Tea versus High Tea, mostly through my friend Jo, who occasionally hosts Afternoon Teas at Lake Missoula Tea Company. Jo is English, and says Afternoon Teas generally occur around holidays, such as Easter and Mother’s Day or a personal event.

Afternoon Tea began in the early 1800s in Britain. It was generally held with the upper classes to tide them over until they had a late supper around 8pm. Afternoon Tea consisted of finger foods, such as sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, and cakes. Afternoon Tea could be a formal affair, with up to two hundred guests attending from 4-7 pm.  Attending afternoon tea was a class indicator and a social affair.

High Tea, on the other hand, was attended by the working class. Workers would come home around 7 pm and sit at the table for tea, bread, potatoes and sometimes some meat. Because they sat at the table compared to lounging in chairs and sofas (low tea or afternoon tea), it was called High Tea; basically dinner for the working class. Believe it or not, many in parts of the UK still refer to dinner as High Tea.

Over time, the upper class Afternoon Tea evolved into what is sometimes called a High Tea, though traditionally it was Afternoon Tea. Today, restaurants in England advertise High Tea, as they target foreigners who misunderstand traditional terms, but still look for the tea and food experience, along with the fun social aspects.