High Tea is the best… I’m no gold Rolex though. Whos’ been busy today?

Of all the things you could do in the mornings, afternoon, evening and nights… it is teas and cakes. One of the most quintessential British cultural things you could possibly ever do.

I have always been the sort of person who enjoys tea and cake or tea and scones or tea and sandwiches. In most cases though, and depending on where you go and the cafe, it will usually consist of tea, sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and chatter. I believe it’s the most potent stress buster known to mankind.

Examine the picture below and you will identify the posh fondant cakes (when I was a kid these were as I’d imagine as addictive as cakes come. They were lovely although it has been many years since I had them (pink was my favourite). You will notice in the background the classic Victoria sponge cakes. In the foreground the delicious cucumber sandwiches (I am also a big fan of these) along with classics ham and cheese. There is an assortment of scones with cream and jam available. Last but not least don’t forget the fairy cakes. All of these would make quite the British tea outing. However, given the current economic situation people cannot simply afford these luxuries anymore.

*Before moving on, my apologies if I ever gave the impression, I am somehow against British culture. I am not. I simply mock it occasionally. I would not openly insult my own nationality and have been proud to be British for a long time. I might speak of other foreign countries and such, but that does not mean I am making them out to be better than my own or worse. This is a blog site and a place for open speech. Please comment with concerns if you have any.*

So, Britain has the High Tea and cakes. We also have another secret – The English Breakfast. I’m talking about both the tea and the breakfast foods.

I start with the foods. A meal that is popular for breakfast, lunch and dinner and is still enjoyed by millions to this day. With the increase in plant based foods and vegans, there are now multiple vegan options out there.

The meal usually consists of fried bread and butter, fried eggs, fried sausages, black pudding (not a fan of more than 1), mushrooms, beans, tomatoes, bacon (although not as popular as scrambled eggs on this) and hash browns. As a side you might enjoy some classic porridge oats. Drinks as we see in the picture are usually teas, coffees or orange fruit juices. A meal I haven’t had in a long time – many years – but I have had the vegan equivalent only a few months ago at a lovely cafe where I live. Because most if not all of this is fried it is in fact quite high in fats. But why not enjoy this as a one a week meal?

Onto the English Breakfast tea – very tasty even without milk. I used to believe this was going to have a very difficult to handle taste. That was not the case. It is rich and surprisingly satisfying. I would recommend this with scones or cakes. Or try it with the English breakfast meal. These are all super satisfying.

What you can do to unwind and destress is to simply be more like the British! Drink teas in the afternoon, enjoy a well-cooked breakfast once in a while and of course stay pleasant. We have an array of fantastic cultural sites ranging from medieval castles and the Tower of London to Stone Henge and the Battersea power station. We’ve been the birth site to Pink Floyd and The Beatles. We built the Mini cars. We are the leaders of the industrial revolution, and we conquered Napoleon at Waterloo. Britain recently had the longest serving monarch in history. Britain is a country to delve into.

Thanks for reading. Have a wonderful day.