Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know it,
but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have advertised a
"high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet another essay on
how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable lout.

From restaurantreport.com:

Tea
(Or, Why I Almost Never Drink It In Restaurants)
by Barbara Ann Rosenberg
"Don't miss high tea at the Ritz!" urged - - no, commanded, my
(purportedly) most sophisticated friend, as I headed out the door many years
ago, bound for London for my very first visit to that fascinating city.

As it turned out she was wrong, very wrong in her advice! No one at that
plus ultra of elegance hotel, the Ritz, would be caught dead having "high
tea", except one of the porters, perhaps...or a scullery maid! It seems that
"high tea" is the working class equivalent of "supper" at which meal
"ordinary folks" eat such things as "bangers and mash" (translates as "hot
dogs and mashed potatoes") or Shephard's pie (lamb stew with some kind of
crust)...certainly not the exquisite, refined food for which the Ritz (and
its stellar chef, David Nicholls) are noted.

What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.

[etc. blathering]

On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 19:06:55 GMT, Falky foo wrote:

> Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know it,
> but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have advertised a
> "high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet another essay on
> how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable lout.
>
> From restaurantreport.com:
>
> Tea
> (Or, Why I Almost Never Drink It In Restaurants)
> by Barbara Ann Rosenberg
> "Don't miss high tea at the Ritz!" urged - - no, commanded, my
> (purportedly) most sophisticated friend, as I headed out the door many years
> ago, bound for London for my very first visit to that fascinating city.
>
> As it turned out she was wrong, very wrong in her advice! No one at that
> plus ultra of elegance hotel, the Ritz, would be caught dead having "high
> tea", except one of the porters, perhaps...or a scullery maid! It seems that
> "high tea" is the working class equivalent of "supper" at which meal
> "ordinary folks" eat such things as "bangers and mash" (translates as "hot
> dogs and mashed potatoes") or Shephard's pie (lamb stew with some kind of
> crust)...certainly not the exquisite, refined food for which the Ritz (and
> its stellar chef, David Nicholls) are noted.
>
> What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
> upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
> repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
> watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
> pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.
>
> [etc. blathering]

I'm no expert on English customs, but I thought the "high" and "low"
referred to the height of the table upon which it was served. High, being a
kitchen table for a meal as Falky sets forth, and low being in a living
room, where the tea is accompanied by those awful little sandwiches and
petit-fours and served to you on a low table. No?

--
Cordially,

Sonam Dasara
4/6/2005 3:24:40 PM
dovekeeper+at+electric-ink+dot+com

On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 19:06:55 GMT, Falky foo wrote:

> Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know it,
> but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have advertised a
> "high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet another essay on
> how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable lout.
>
> From restaurantreport.com:
>
> Tea
> (Or, Why I Almost Never Drink It In Restaurants)
> by Barbara Ann Rosenberg
> "Don't miss high tea at the Ritz!" urged - - no, commanded, my
> (purportedly) most sophisticated friend, as I headed out the door many years
> ago, bound for London for my very first visit to that fascinating city.
>
> As it turned out she was wrong, very wrong in her advice! No one at that
> plus ultra of elegance hotel, the Ritz, would be caught dead having "high
> tea", except one of the porters, perhaps...or a scullery maid! It seems that
> "high tea" is the working class equivalent of "supper" at which meal
> "ordinary folks" eat such things as "bangers and mash" (translates as "hot
> dogs and mashed potatoes") or Shephard's pie (lamb stew with some kind of
> crust)...certainly not the exquisite, refined food for which the Ritz (and
> its stellar chef, David Nicholls) are noted.
>
> What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
> upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
> repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
> watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
> pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.
>
> [etc. blathering]

I'm no expert on English customs, but I thought the "high" and "low"
referred to the height of the table upon which it was served. High, being a
kitchen table for a meal as Falky sets forth, and low being in a living
room, where the tea is accompanied by those awful little sandwiches and
petit-fours and served to you on a low table. No?

--
Cordially,

Sonam Dasara
4/6/2005 3:24:40 PM
dovekeeper+at+electric-ink+dot+com

On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 19:06:55 GMT
"Falky foo" > wrote:

> Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know
> it, but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have
> advertised a "high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet
> another essay on how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable
> lout.


It is high. It refers to the height of the table.

The leisure class can afford to have tea socially, in a relaxed setting,
around 4, off what americans would identify as a coffee table.

Everybody else has it at 5, off the dinner table. Which would be higher
up.

On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 19:06:55 GMT
"Falky foo" > wrote:

> Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know
> it, but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have
> advertised a "high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet
> another essay on how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable
> lout.


It is high. It refers to the height of the table.

The leisure class can afford to have tea socially, in a relaxed setting,
around 4, off what americans would identify as a coffee table.

Everybody else has it at 5, off the dinner table. Which would be higher
up.

You will find me in the hotel basement drinking with the porter and the
scullery maid. A lout, yes; but save your pity. Think I'm gonna allow myself
to get into a situation where I need to do dress up and then worry about
which damned spoon I use to eat the ice cream? Not I. Thanks for listening.

Michael


Falky /6/05


> Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know it,
> but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have advertised a
> "high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet another essay on
> how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable lout.
>
> From restaurantreport.com:
>
> Tea
> (Or, Why I Almost Never Drink It In Restaurants)
> by Barbara Ann Rosenberg
> "Don't miss high tea at the Ritz!" urged - - no, commanded, my
> (purportedly) most sophisticated friend, as I headed out the door many years
> ago, bound for London for my very first visit to that fascinating city.
>
> As it turned out she was wrong, very wrong in her advice! No one at that
> plus ultra of elegance hotel, the Ritz, would be caught dead having "high
> tea", except one of the porters, perhaps...or a scullery maid! It seems that
> "high tea" is the working class equivalent of "supper" at which meal
> "ordinary folks" eat such things as "bangers and mash" (translates as "hot
> dogs and mashed potatoes") or Shephard's pie (lamb stew with some kind of
> crust)...certainly not the exquisite, refined food for which the Ritz (and
> its stellar chef, David Nicholls) are noted.
>
> What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
> upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
> repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
> watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
> pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.
>
> [etc. blathering]
>
>

You will find me in the hotel basement drinking with the porter and the
scullery maid. A lout, yes; but save your pity. Think I'm gonna allow myself
to get into a situation where I need to do dress up and then worry about
which damned spoon I use to eat the ice cream? Not I. Thanks for listening.

Michael


Falky /6/05


> Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know it,
> but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have advertised a
> "high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet another essay on
> how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable lout.
>
> From restaurantreport.com:
>
> Tea
> (Or, Why I Almost Never Drink It In Restaurants)
> by Barbara Ann Rosenberg
> "Don't miss high tea at the Ritz!" urged - - no, commanded, my
> (purportedly) most sophisticated friend, as I headed out the door many years
> ago, bound for London for my very first visit to that fascinating city.
>
> As it turned out she was wrong, very wrong in her advice! No one at that
> plus ultra of elegance hotel, the Ritz, would be caught dead having "high
> tea", except one of the porters, perhaps...or a scullery maid! It seems that
> "high tea" is the working class equivalent of "supper" at which meal
> "ordinary folks" eat such things as "bangers and mash" (translates as "hot
> dogs and mashed potatoes") or Shephard's pie (lamb stew with some kind of
> crust)...certainly not the exquisite, refined food for which the Ritz (and
> its stellar chef, David Nicholls) are noted.
>
> What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
> upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
> repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
> watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
> pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.
>
> [etc. blathering]
>
>

Sonam 4/6/05

> On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 19:06:55 GMT, Falky foo wrote:
>
>> Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know it,
>> but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have advertised a
>> "high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet another essay on
>> how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable lout.
>>
>> From restaurantreport.com:
>>
>> Tea
>> (Or, Why I Almost Never Drink It In Restaurants)
>> by Barbara Ann Rosenberg
>> "Don't miss high tea at the Ritz!" urged - - no, commanded, my
>> (purportedly) most sophisticated friend, as I headed out the door many years
>> ago, bound for London for my very first visit to that fascinating city.
>>
>> As it turned out she was wrong, very wrong in her advice! No one at that
>> plus ultra of elegance hotel, the Ritz, would be caught dead having "high
>> tea", except one of the porters, perhaps...or a scullery maid! It seems that
>> "high tea" is the working class equivalent of "supper" at which meal
>> "ordinary folks" eat such things as "bangers and mash" (translates as "hot
>> dogs and mashed potatoes") or Shephard's pie (lamb stew with some kind of
>> crust)...certainly not the exquisite, refined food for which the Ritz (and
>> its stellar chef, David Nicholls) are noted.
>>
>> What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
>> upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
>> repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
>> watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
>> pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.
>>
>> [etc. blathering]
>
> I'm no expert on English customs, but I thought the "high" and "low"
> referred to the height of the table upon which it was served. High, being a
> kitchen table for a meal as Falky sets forth, and low being in a living
> room, where the tea is accompanied by those awful little sandwiches and
> petit-fours and served to you on a low table. No?


Quite right on every count. However, here in the good old US of A, we
reverse the meaning of the two terms. Unfortunately, as with "public"
school, the British have yet to get it right. In actual fact, the terms high
and low in regard to teas might refer to the relative intelligences of the
persons partaking.

Michael

Sonam 4/6/05

> On Wed, 06 Apr 2005 19:06:55 GMT, Falky foo wrote:
>
>> Just thought I'd repost this warning.. I know most of you already know it,
>> but some of the swankier places at which I've been dining have advertised a
>> "high" tea which, of course, is afternoon tea. Here's yet another essay on
>> how calling low tea high tea marks you as a pitiable lout.
>>
>> From restaurantreport.com:
>>
>> Tea
>> (Or, Why I Almost Never Drink It In Restaurants)
>> by Barbara Ann Rosenberg
>> "Don't miss high tea at the Ritz!" urged - - no, commanded, my
>> (purportedly) most sophisticated friend, as I headed out the door many years
>> ago, bound for London for my very first visit to that fascinating city.
>>
>> As it turned out she was wrong, very wrong in her advice! No one at that
>> plus ultra of elegance hotel, the Ritz, would be caught dead having "high
>> tea", except one of the porters, perhaps...or a scullery maid! It seems that
>> "high tea" is the working class equivalent of "supper" at which meal
>> "ordinary folks" eat such things as "bangers and mash" (translates as "hot
>> dogs and mashed potatoes") or Shephard's pie (lamb stew with some kind of
>> crust)...certainly not the exquisite, refined food for which the Ritz (and
>> its stellar chef, David Nicholls) are noted.
>>
>> What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
>> upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
>> repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
>> watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
>> pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.
>>
>> [etc. blathering]
>
> I'm no expert on English customs, but I thought the "high" and "low"
> referred to the height of the table upon which it was served. High, being a
> kitchen table for a meal as Falky sets forth, and low being in a living
> room, where the tea is accompanied by those awful little sandwiches and
> petit-fours and served to you on a low table. No?


Quite right on every count. However, here in the good old US of A, we
reverse the meaning of the two terms. Unfortunately, as with "public"
school, the British have yet to get it right. In actual fact, the terms high
and low in regard to teas might refer to the relative intelligences of the
persons partaking.

Michael

As a Briton, I'm afraid that I'm ignorant of the actual meaning of the
term High Tea (tho' I have heard the term).
As a Northerner, the sausage and chips (etc) assembly I might well call
'tea'.
As in, ' what're we having for tea? '

To which the reply would be,
' This splendid commemorative green pu-erh cake, my dear fellow. '

As a Briton, I'm afraid that I'm ignorant of the actual meaning of the
term High Tea (tho' I have heard the term).
As a Northerner, the sausage and chips (etc) assembly I might well call
'tea'.
As in, ' what're we having for tea? '

To which the reply would be,
' This splendid commemorative green pu-erh cake, my dear fellow. '

Michael Plant > wrote in
:

> You will find me in the hotel basement drinking with the porter and
> the scullery maid. A lout, yes; but save your pity. Think I'm gonna
> allow myself to get into a situation where I need to do dress up and
> then worry about which damned spoon I use to eat the ice cream? Not I.
> Thanks for listening.
>

And I'll be there with you. I'm sure the downstairs crowd is a hell of a
lot more fun than the upstairs stiffs.

I enjoy good tea, but I despise a lot of the snobbery that some people
try to attach to that pleasure.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

Michael Plant > wrote in
:

> You will find me in the hotel basement drinking with the porter and
> the scullery maid. A lout, yes; but save your pity. Think I'm gonna
> allow myself to get into a situation where I need to do dress up and
> then worry about which damned spoon I use to eat the ice cream? Not I.
> Thanks for listening.
>

And I'll be there with you. I'm sure the downstairs crowd is a hell of a
lot more fun than the upstairs stiffs.

I enjoy good tea, but I despise a lot of the snobbery that some people
try to attach to that pleasure.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

Michael Plant > wrote in
:

> You will find me in the hotel basement drinking with the porter and
> the scullery maid. A lout, yes; but save your pity. Think I'm gonna
> allow myself to get into a situation where I need to do dress up and
> then worry about which damned spoon I use to eat the ice cream? Not I.
> Thanks for listening.
>

And I'll be there with you. I'm sure the downstairs crowd is a hell of a
lot more fun than the upstairs stiffs.

I enjoy good tea, but I despise a lot of the snobbery that some people
try to attach to that pleasure.

--
Larry Weil
Lake Wobegone, NH

so, just to sum up...

"afternoon" / "low" tea: tea taken with little cakes at a coffee table at
4:00 with delicate old ladies and fine china

"high" tea: tea taken with dinner later in the evening

Nothing wrong with high tea, the only wrong thing is to call afternoon/low
tea "high" tea in the belief you'll be taking it with "high" class people.

so, just to sum up...

"afternoon" / "low" tea: tea taken with little cakes at a coffee table at
4:00 with delicate old ladies and fine china

"high" tea: tea taken with dinner later in the evening

Nothing wrong with high tea, the only wrong thing is to call afternoon/low
tea "high" tea in the belief you'll be taking it with "high" class people.

I wonder if I am the only one here who has taken tea at the Ritz?

Cheers

Blippie
--
Ten minutes of this rain will do more good in half an hour
than a fortnight of ordinary rain in a month.

I wonder if I am the only one here who has taken tea at the Ritz?

Cheers

Blippie
--
Ten minutes of this rain will do more good in half an hour
than a fortnight of ordinary rain in a month.

On Fri, 08 Apr 2005 13:46:41 +0100, Blippie wrote:

> I wonder if I am the only one here who has taken tea at the Ritz?
>
> Cheers
>
> Blippie

I had low tea with Ritz crackers !

On Fri, 08 Apr 2005 13:46:41 +0100, Blippie wrote:

> I wonder if I am the only one here who has taken tea at the Ritz?
>
> Cheers
>
> Blippie

I had low tea with Ritz crackers !

which Ritz?


"Blippie" <alt.aviation.roswell.wannabe.wannabe.wannabe> wrote in message
...
> I wonder if I am the only one here who has taken tea at the Ritz?
>
> Cheers
>
> Blippie
> --
> Ten minutes of this rain will do more good in half an hour
> than a fortnight of ordinary rain in a month.
>
>

Afternoon tea is definitely the lighter of the two, taken at 3 or 4 by
the middle classes, whereas high tea is the main evening meal for the
working classes. It's also known as just "tea" in the north of England.

There's a lot of dispute about the origin of the term "high" but I've
always gathered it refers to the "high" or late part of the afternoon
when it's taken (around 5 or 6).

--Paul

Afternoon tea is definitely the lighter of the two, taken at 3 or 4 by
the middle classes, whereas high tea is the main evening meal for the
working classes. It's also known as just "tea" in the north of England.

There's a lot of dispute about the origin of the term "high" but I've
always gathered it refers to the "high" or late part of the afternoon
when it's taken (around 5 or 6).

--Paul

> What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
> upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
> repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
> watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
> pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.
>
> [etc. blathering]

Once I invited a friend of mine, up in Manchester, to come round for tea.
He gladly accepted and we had tea. Tea and biscuits. Just that. From the
sad look in his eyes, when he left at about 6, I felt something wasn't
quite right. Then I came to realise that tea up north means something
different and he probably passed by a Fish and Chips shop on his way home,
silently shaking his head about the meanness of foreigners. Next time we
had tea, high tea, and he was happy.

JB

> What my friend had in mind was, actually, "afternoon tea", a ritual of the
> upper class (or "would be" upper class) folks who regularly indulge in a
> repast of teeny-weeny sandwiches concocted of such delectable things as
> watercress and shrimp pate followed by assorted teeny-weeny decorated
> pastries in fanciful shapes - - and a pot of properly brewed tea.
>
> [etc. blathering]

Once I invited a friend of mine, up in Manchester, to come round for tea.
He gladly accepted and we had tea. Tea and biscuits. Just that. From the
sad look in his eyes, when he left at about 6, I felt something wasn't
quite right. Then I came to realise that tea up north means something
different and he probably passed by a Fish and Chips shop on his way home,
silently shaking his head about the meanness of foreigners. Next time we
had tea, high tea, and he was happy.

JB