LOT 162 – Afternoon Tea for 2, Rookery Hall Hotel & Spa

Description

Tea consumption increased during the early 19th
century (early 1840s) around the time that Anna,
Duchess of Bedford is said to have complained of a
“sinking” feeling during later afternoon.
At this time, it was usual to take only two meals a day:
breakfast in the morning and dinner at around 8 pm.
The solution for the Duchess was to have a pot of tea
and a light snack taken privately in her boudoir
during the afternoon.
Later, she invited her friends and before long, this
practice proved so popular that all of fashionable
society were sipping tea and nibbling sandwiches in
the middle of the afternoon.