The perfect garden party

I’ve been thinking a lot about how lovely it is to sit in the garden and enjoy afternoon tea. Here are my tips for the perfect garden party:

Who to invite?

As a lover of afternoon tea, I was particularly interested in what I could do to make this experience really special: I invited a small group of girls over. Small groups mean that everyone gets a chance to chat and the conversation doesn’t split into smaller groups. Also, make sure people know each other or have something in common to make conversation fluid and relaxed. Inviting the vicar and an atheist may not be the best combination!

What food is best for afternoon tea?

I love making petit fours as the food is small and you can have a small taste of everything. Don’t serve big cakes, even if it’s someone’s birthday. You really can get tired of too much sugar I promise! I made lemon and lavender possets, Battenburg and tiny ginger bundt cakes with an elderflower syrup. The posset was served in vintage port glasses with a lavender shortbread and the Battenburg was filled with vanilla buttercream and homemade raspberry jam.

Afternoon tea is more filling than you may realise. Small sandwiches cut sandwiches into four squares with the crusts removed are perfect as a first course with some crudités such as vine tomatoes as cucumber rosettes. I made coronation chicken, cucumber and cheese and pickle sandwiches and we were almost full after eating these. Please do leave room for the second course of bite sized scones, clotted cream and jam!

How to decorate your table?

I decorated the garden table with crisp, white tablecloths, vintage napkins and pretty rose china with vintage knife, spoon and fork at each place setting. If it’s windy, fold the napkins into bows and tuck them into the handle of your china teacups.

With so much attention paid to the table, it’s imperative that everyone gets dressed in beautiful summery outfits.

Gardens are intimate and peaceful.

Yes I’ve been to a lot of hotels for teashops for afternoon tea and while these have been lovely experiences, it’s always felt a bit rushed and sometimes claustrophobic. I’m not a fan of too much noise and a trip to the Ritz in April was lovely but crowded. I found it hard to concentrate when other customers were speaking loudly and we were tucked in a corner at the Ritz with a hen party right next to us. It was not the romantic, idyllic date I had anticipated! As well as this, you become very aware that the next group of customers are due after about an hour and a half. It’s preferable to sit back and have a gentle snooze in a garden deck chair after all that food rather than rushing straight into a crowded train home.

Let me explain: if a teashop or hotel is popular, chances are you’ll be on a table very near to other people and hence more involved in their conversation and day out than required. Whereas, if, as I’m suggesting, you have an afternoon tea baked, delivered and set up in your garden or conservatory, you can relax and enjoy the company of the lucky people you invite. I think this ideal is why I created Mel’s Marvellous Cakes in the first place.

Make it a special occasion for afternoon tea

Setting up a table for you and your friends; dressing up for the occasion and eating delicious small treats is a fantastic way to get together and treat yourselves without spending a fortune. I loved using the garden as a backdrop for beautiful pictures of freshly baked scones, piles of clotted cream and homemade strawberry jam. Prosecco was a lovely afternoon tea addition as was a large Kilner jar of iced lemon water to counter the hot weather. You could even add Earl Grey tea cocktails and make an evening of it. Try loose leaf tea for an enhanced flavour.

Saying all this, I still want the chance to go to lovely afternoon tea venues but I’m very careful about where I go and where I’m seated. My favourite experience this year has been the garden tea with my friends. The only change I would ask for is can someone come and set it up, bake, serve and wash up for me. Now that’s a good idea for a business!

You can book an afternoon tea, organised by Mel, by emailing melaniebartlett@melsmarvellouscakes.com ❤️