The Whole of Holland at Afternoon Tea

All of England is sitting at home enjoying afternoon tea again, thanks to The Great British Bake-off, the popular BBC programme known here as Heel Holland Bakt. Now all of Holland is enjoying afternoon tea too (even though many people think they are having high tea). Not with their own baking, but in a hotel.

In the case of the British, often referred to as the inventors of afternoon tea, TGBBO has certainly played a role in the renewed appreciation of this old tradition. One of the baking competition’s annual challenges is: make an afternoon tea.

Janny & co.

But although Janny van der Heijden & co. have got almost all of Holland baking, afternoon tea barely features in the Dutch spin-off.

Afternoon tea: silver, porcelain, damask and the pinkie raised.

All the more so in the New Generation of international hotels. Hotels that not only like to be rooted in the local area with cocktail bars and accessible burger joints, but at the same time want to attract the international jet set in an elegant way during the hours between breakfast and dinner.

Society salons

Just as British hotels in particular have always done. Although the phenomenon originally arose in society salons, in its heyday people went to a hotel for this get-together with a pot of tea and a tiered stand full of sweet and savoury treats – from scones to cucumber sandwiches.

Some people refer to high tea when they mean afternoon tea.

And now they are doing so again. Even in the Netherlands, hotels now keep the tea warm for guests in the afternoon, between three and five.

High vs. Afternoon

Ten years ago, friends would get together for a cosy ‘high tea’ in a simple café setting; now it is once again silver, porcelain, damask and the pinkie raised. Awards are even presented for the hotel with the best afternoon tea.

And the fact that some people still mistakenly refer to high tea – the substantial meal with tea on the side eaten by workers at around five in the afternoon – when they mean afternoon tea… Oh well.

We recommend the afternoon tea at the Conservatorium hotel, The Grand and The Duchess. 

Text: Marjan Ippel