We’re a nation of afternoon tea lovers: but which sweet and savoury treats do we enjoy the most?
As stockists of homeware and picnicware, it’s fair to say we’re huge lovers of afternoon tea here at Sass & Belle - whether that be going out for one, or creating a spread at home!
In honour of Afternoon Tea Week (9th-15th August), we’ve conducted a survey to determine which afternoon tea treats we Brits love - and hate - the most, with 1,000 respondents ranking popular sandwiches and sweet and savoury foods.
Afternoon Tea Week runs from 9th-15th August
The results are in! Aside from the scone - a classic component in any afternoon tea - we’re huge fans of chicken and mayonnaise sandwiches, sausage rolls and brownies.
Participants were asked to rank the treats according to the following options: Tier 1 (love it - get in my belly), Tier 2 (like it - take it or leave it), Tier 3 (hate it - get in the bin). Those with dietary requirements were asked to vote on the assumption that alternatives were available.
Based on the top Tier 1 and most hated Tier 2 treats, here are the most - and least - enjoyed afternoon tea foods:
Sandwiches
Get in my belly
- Chicken and mayonnaise
- Tuna and cucumber/sweetcorn
- Cucumber
Get in the bin
- Beef and horseradish
- Ham and mustard
- Veggie & hummus
| ANSWERS | LOVE IT - GET IN MY BELLY | LIKE IT - TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT | HATE IT - GET IN THE BIN |
I DON'T EAT THIS / I'VE NEVER TRIED THIS |
||
| Smoked salmon and cream cheese | 30.60% | 27.50% | 22.80% | 19.10% | ||
| Egg and cress | 30.40% | 35.60% | 24.80% | 9.20% | ||
| Chicken and mayonnaise | 43.60% | 33.10% | 14.40% | 8.90% | ||
| Cucumber | 40.10% | 34.50% | 18.50% | 6.90% | ||
| Tuna and cucumber/sweetcorn | 41.10% | 26.4% | 22.70% | 9.80% | ||
| Ham and mustard | 21.10% | 26.60% | 33.80% | 18.50% | ||
| Beef and horseradish | 16.00% | 23.30% | 37.50% | 23.20% | ||
| Cheese and chutney | 28.10% | 29.50% | 27.90% | 14.50% | ||
| Veggie and hummus | 23.00% | 28.30% | 31.80% | 16.90% | ||
Savoury selection
Get in my belly
- Sausage roll
- Pasty
- Cheese straw
Get in the bin
- Pork pie
- Scotch egg
- Quiche
| ANSWERS | LOVE IT - GET IN MY BELLY | LIKE IT - TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT | HATE IT - GET IN THE BIN |
I DON'T EAT THIS / I'VE NEVER TRIED THIS |
||
| Quiche | 42.00% | 30.20% | 17.10% | 10.70% | ||
| Sausage rolls | 62.30% | 22.80% | 8.10% | 6.80% | ||
| Scotch eggs | 37.80% | 30.30% | 21.20% | 10.70% | ||
| Cheese straws | 48.20% | 29.20% | 15.00% | 7.60% | ||
| Canapes | 28.10% | 34.70% | 14.90% | 22.30% | ||
| Pork pies | 29.80% | 29.50% | 24.20% | 16.50% | ||
| Pasties | 49.20% | 34.70% | 10.00% | 6.10% | ||
| Soup | 39.10% | 40.00% | 15.10% | 5.80% | ||
Sweet selection
Get in my belly
- Brownie
- Victoria sponge
- Lemon drizzle
Get in the bin
- Carrot cake
- Bakewell tart
- Macaron
And to wash the afternoon tea treats down? English Breakfast tea, of course, as voted for by 42% of respondents. One in ten (11%) said they’d prefer a coffee or even something a ‘bit stronger’, though.
| ANSWERS | LOVE IT - GET IN MY BELLY | LIKE IT - TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT | HATE IT - GET IN THE BIN |
I DON'T EAT THIS / I'VE NEVER TRIED THIS |
||
| Lemon drizzle | 59.00% | 26.50% | 9.00% | 5.50% | ||
| Victoria sponge | 69.80% | 23.00% | 4.50% | 2.70% | ||
| Macarons | 42.70% | 32.50% | 16.50% | 8.30% | ||
| Chocolate praline tart | 49.40% | 31.10% | 10.30% | 9.20% | ||
| Bakewell tart | 47.80% | 28.40% | 16.80% | 7.00% | ||
| Brownie | 73.70% | 18.50% | 5.40% | 2.40% | ||
| Sticky toffee pudding | 55.10% | 27.50% | 11.60% | 5.80% | ||
| Carrot cake | 46.30% | 24.40% | 22.00% | 7.30% | ||
The battle of sweet vs savoury treats
When it comes to our favourite tier, it seems we’re a nation of dessert lovers, with 42% rating the cakes and sweet selection the best, followed by the savoury selection and scone tier, with only one in five (21%) claiming ‘the middle tier’ as the one that makes their mouth water the most.Tucking into their afternoon tea, a quarter are likely to start with the scone or sweet selection first too - so it’s not always a case of saving the best ‘til last!
And while we were at it, we thought we’d settle the scone pronunciation and ‘jam or cream first’ debates once and for all. Here’s are the votes:
How do you pronounce the word ‘scone’?
Scone, to rhyme with ‘cone’ - 60%
Scone, to rhyme with ‘gone’ - 40%
In what order do you put the jam and cream on a scone?
Jam first - 65%
Cream first - 35%
Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Disney are our favourite afternoon tea themes
Other popular themes include:
- British/royal
- Harry Potter
- Fairytale
When opting for a classic afternoon tea, nearly two-thirds of consumers (65%) would be happy to pay up to £20 per person for a classic afternoon tea, while 26% would be prepared to pay between £20 and £30.
Presentation is key: how to serve the perfect afternoon tea at home
Here are some tips from Sass & Belle’s design team to help wow your guests when it comes to the presentation of your afternoon tea:
1. Choose a theme
If you’re looking to jazz things up, consider opting for a themed afternoon tea. Decide on your theme before going shopping though, as this will likely influence what food you make or buy. A theme could be something as simple as one or two colours running through the decoration - and even the food itself - or you could go all out and base your afternoon tea on a band, film or cuisine you love, to name a few. From our survey, Alice in Wonderland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Disney are a few of our favourites.
2. Create an Insta-worthy tablescape
Tablescaping has become a bit of a buzz word of late, referring to the art of designing your table in an aesthetically pleasing way, often with heavy decoration. There’s no right or wrong way to do tablescaping, though it’s generally advised to have some sort of centrepiece; this could be the tiered cake stand itself - or more than one if you’re having a big get together - or flowers, or candles, for example.
3. Get out the fancy homeware
There’s never been a better time to get out your fancy crockery and cutlery! Go and raid your cupboards for any hidden or long-lost gems; failing that you could rent tableware, or buy a couple of pieces outright. Quirky or vivid designs can really bring a table to life, while opting for plain bronze, gold or silver homeware can add an element of luxury.
Looking to buy some pieces for yourself? We have some characterful mugs & teapots on our retail website, plus other tablescaping essentials such as coasters and tableware.
How to bake the perfect classic brownie
Val Stones, former Great British Bake-Off 2016 contestant and Baking Expert at Stannah, has teamed up with Sass & Belle to share her favourite quick and easy brownie recipe
Makes 12 - 16
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 25 - 30 minutes
“I love dark chocolate and when I learned how to make brownies in my early married life I was hooked. The richness of the dark chocolate really was sublime and at that time I didn’t know that dark chocolate was full of polyphenols which are good for you. Once again, all things in moderation; cut brownies into small squares and don’t feel too guilty – it’s a treat.”
INGREDIENTS
- 200g butter
- 75g dark chocolate (70-75% cocoa)
- 2 large eggs, beaten 225g granulated sugar 75g self raising flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon chocolate extract
- 100g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces
METHOD
- Set the oven to 160°C fan, 180-190°C, 350-375°F, gas 4-5.
- Grease and line a shallow brownie tin.
- Cut butter and chocolate into small pieces so that they melt evenly, then microwave on medium heat for 1 minute, remove to stir, repeat this again and it should be mostly melted (only ever microwave chocolate on low to medium and for one minute at a time to prevent it from burning). Or you can use a double boiler, making sure the top pan doesn't touch the water.
- Beat the mixture until smooth, then fold in the other ingredients, blending gently but thoroughly so that you don't knock the air out of the mixture.
- Spread the mixture evenly in the tin, adding any extra topping you want.
- Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.
Val’s Top Tip – The centre should be very moist and if you gently shake the tin, it should wobble slightly; the brownie mixture will continue to set when out of the oven!
Finally, cut the brownies into as many slices as you see fit and enjoy! They will keep well in an airtight container for about a week.
