Tea parties offer a charming and relaxing way to mark an occasion. Imagine finger sandwiches, delightful pastries, and fragrant teas all enjoyed with your favourite company. We’ve been inspired by Greg @manwithahammer who celebrated his 40th birthday this year in style with an elegant Spode-inspired tea party.
Read on to discover everything you need to host your own tea party celebration, from choosing the perfect crockery and creating a delightful menu. Get ready to sip, savour and celebrate in style.
What do you need to host a tea party?
- Crockery
- Decorations
- Table linens
- Food, such as sandwiches & cakes
- Tea
- Sparkling wine, champagne, cocktails or mocktails
A tea party can be as simple as one big cake alongside a cup of tea for each guest, but for something a little bit special take inspiration from Greg and opt for a bountiful spread served elegantly on your best china, with copious amounts of tea and all the decorations.
When it comes to crockery, you’ll need a teapot, dessert plates and teacups at the very least. If you’re going all out, a cake stand or footed cake plate, cutlery, sugar pot, and a cream jug is also a must. To make a statement, style your tea party with our bold and eye-catching Steccato collection with its irresistible cobalt blue hue. You can easily layer these pieces with your existing Blue Italian collection for a mix and match setting.
What to serve at your tea party:
As we mentioned, a beautiful spread of food is only fitting for a celebration tea party. Ideally served on a tiered cake stand, cake plates and platters, finger sandwiches in classic flavours, followed by scones, cupcakes, macarons and petit fours.
Plan on having at least two sandwiches, scones and sweet treats for each of your guests. Popular classic fillings for your sandwiches include coronation chicken, cucumber, ham and mustard, egg and smoked salmon and cream cheese. For a modern twist on a classic tea party menu, follow Greg’s suit, with a platter of cheese, crackers, vegetables and dips for something a little different for guests to enjoy.
Of course, tea is a must at any tea party, big or small, and there are lots of options to choose from. You can’t go wrong with a classic English breakfast tea, but for variety why not have Earl Grey or non-caffeinated options available too, such as peppermint, lemon and ginger or chamomile? Loose-leaf tea always feels a little fancier, perfect for occasions such as this. For tips on brewing the perfect cup of tea, follow our guide.
For a suitably Spode twist to your tea party serve a tea-inspired gin or cocktail straight from your teapot into your china teacups to add a little extra something your guests will remember. The options for teapot cocktails are endless, just make sure you have a stylish teapot to ensure the perfect pour!
How to style your tea party:
Our favourite part of prepping for any celebration is styling the table. The tableware you choose to use for your tea party will help to determine the colour scheme, and from here you can choose your table linens and any decorations you see fit. For us, more is always more. Layering patterns for a mix-and-match setting or going bold with striking shades of blue and white are firm styling favourites.
A tea party is a perfect opportunity to stock up on beautiful tableware and serveware, play around with colours, tablescape style and have fun trying and baking delicious, sweet treats. If you’re hosting a Spode tea party to celebrate an occasion, be sure to tag us in your posts on Instagram.