Afternoon Tea

The Victorian Age is known for its beautiful architecture, lovely fashions, over-the-top decor, and its afternoon tea.  It is said that this lovely custom became all the rage as folks wanted to emulate the rich and famous, much like we do today.  Supper was served quite late in the evening, so there was a long gap between meals.  It is said that the Duchess of Bedford (who served Queen Victoria as Lady of the Bedchamber between 1837 and 1841) began inviting her friends over for tea and tasty treats to help remedy her hunger pains.  Everyone began to follow her example because it served a purpose - and was so much fun too!

At Mrs. Bell's Tea Room we follow tradition as much as possible, serving afternoon tea in vintage china and including the classic finger sandwich of cucumber and cream cheese in our selection.  Dressing up for the occasion was certainly something they did in Victorian England and we encourage you to do so too - wearing a fancy hat is totally optional, but it will definitely make you smile!

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Also, Victorians were revolting against the effects of the Industrial Revolution:  noise, pollution, crowds and stress when they instituted their styles, unique decor and the custom of sharing afternoon tea.  We still have a lot of noise, pollution, crowds and stress in our lives, so Mrs. Bell hopes that you can decompress and relax in this time-honoured tradition of afternoon tea.