How to Host a Retro Afternoon Tea
We could think of no better way to celebrate the launch of Emma Britton & Duchess China 1888’s new Floral Twist crystal & china collection than with a retro afternoon tea, complete with all the proper trimmings. Take inspiration from how we styled our afternoon tea table below. Plus pick up hosting ideas in this journal post to recreate your own retro afternoon tea at home.
A vintage style tablescape adorned with nostalgic sweet treats is certainly the perfect setting to honour the archival Duchess pattern that inspired this special collection. And with fine bone china teapots firmly back in fashion along with retro homeware and home entertaining, this timeless set is a joyful reconnection with a bygone era for today’s enjoyment, and a great wedding gift idea!
With a modern spin on a mid-century look, the Floral Twist collection truly celebrates great British craftsmanship. Learn more about how this covetable tableware collection came to life here. Or, continue reading below for retro afternoon tea ideas you’ll love.
Hosting a Retro Afternoon Tea at Home
Firstly, food. Jewel coloured jellies and daintily iced cakes feel very fitting for retro teatime treats. Fondant fancies and Bakewell tarts are nostalgic crowd pleasers, but you could use any colourful cakes. We also used a proper vintage glass jelly mould that Emma inherited from her Granny for true period accuracy!
Afternoon tea isn’t complete without proper china teacups and saucers. Emma Britton and Duchess China 1888 share the same outlook that beautiful things should be practical as well. Duchess China 1888’s fine bone china certainly lives up to that ethos, with dainty looking teaware that will absolutely stand the test of time. The heirloom-worthy cups and saucers look so elegant on the table – spot the hidden flower too!
Enhance the vintage vibes with the colour palette of your tablescape. Tomato red looks great with this deep petrol green tablecloth, so don’t be afraid to be bold with colour (tablecloths don’t need to be just white!). Added hints of purple and yellow really add to the retro look.
Vintage silverware and bone-handle butter knives are a popular style once again and look great mismatched with other cutlery for an eclectic table. Polish off old pieces you already have, and add to them with antique fair finds.
On silverware – cake slices, cake forks and sugar tongs all feel really nostalgic, so are perfect for retro hosting. An afternoon tea is a great excuse to use these often inherited special heirlooms, and are a fun nod to a bygone era. Make sure you’ve got china sugar bowls and cake plates too!
Embrace the glamour of fifties hosting with a splash of fizz with your tea and cake. Emma’s new floral cocktail glasses are a luxurious yet fun addition to your teatime table. A classic champagne afternoon tea never goes amiss, but if you fancy getting creative with cocktails then these crystal glasses are a must.
Don’t forget the garnishes. Brightly coloured maraschino cherries are a purely nostalgic taste and look so appealing in a cocktail, sherry or glass of fizz.
More on the Floral Twist Collection
We had so much fun styling this retro afternoon tea set-up, making this special collaborative collection come to life. Perhaps you recognise the room in the photographs too? We were lucky enough to photograph on location at Gladstone Pottery Museum’s ‘throwdown room’; the filming location for its namesake television programme. A nice homage to British craftsmanship, design and manufacturing and certainly a privilege for the whole team. Photography by Lucy Glen.
Shop the whole Emma Britton & Duchess China 1888 Floral Twist afternoon tea collection here. Exclusively available in crystal floral glass tumblers, cocktail glasses and bud vase. Alongside hand-made, English fine bone china teacups and saucers, milk jug, sugar bowl, cake plates and tea pot.