The tradition of high tea is a fun way to get friends and loved ones together to celebrate a special occasion. With an array of sweet and savoury goodies and many cups of tea and coffee – it's the perfect activity for a weekend morning or afternoon. Follow along for our tips and tricks on hosting the perfect DIY high tea, with little prep, from the comfort of your home!
Set the scene:
Traditionally, high tea is served on a three-tiered cake stand to visually display the sweet and savoury treats. If you have one of these stands, now is your chance to put it into action! Otherwise, try and DIY your own tiered high tea stand using any plates and mugs you have laying around the house.
To do this, start with a large plate on the bottom and place a sturdy mug in the middle of the plate. Gently place a medium-sized plate on top of the mug. You can stop here, or you can add another mug and a smaller plate on top for a three-tiered high tea stand.
Tip: If you place your mugs in the centre of the plate, your tower will be sturdy enough to hold your treats for your high tea but feel free to add blue tac for extra strength to hold them together. If you are using old mugs and plates, you can even glue the crockery together so you have a DIY high tea stand ready to go for your next party (just make sure the glue is dry before you add on the food)! We also love going to op shops to buy reasonably priced, mismatched tea cups and plates for an old-school tea party look – this is a fun craft to do with the family.
Choose your favourite savoury treats:
When it comes to savoury options, we like to keep things easy and stress-free by using our favourite grab-and-go Pams products - minimal effort for maximum impact is the way to do it! With high tea, we like to serve up small bite-sized portions so that our guests can easily grab a selection. Pams Sausage Rolls & Pams Spanikopita Mini Rolls are perfect for this! We also recommend adding some of your favourite crackers alongside Pams Finest Prosciutto & Salami and some pre-sliced Pams Brie Cheese.
Tip: Make mini chicken sandwiches using Pams Garlic Buffet Rolls, Pams Mayonnaise, Pams Pesto and some roast chicken!
Tip: Layer Pams Whipped Cream and Pams Strawberry Jam on Pams Par Baked Croissants as a show stopper for the top of your high tea stand!
Cater for dietary requirements:
It’s always good to check with guests ahead of time if they have any dietary requirements. Pams has lots of great options to cater to most people! We love to include some plant based savoury snacks like Pams Plant Based Money Bags or Pams PlantBased Curry Puffs! Pams Gluten Free Macaroons are a great sweet treat for any gluten-free guests and, for a savoury option, try topping Pams Gluten Free Crackers with Pams Smoked Salmon and a dollop of cream cheese.
Choose your drinks:
Get your guests’ drinks ready so they can grab a cuppa whenever they like! Boil the kettle and set out a drink station with jugs of milk and a bowl of sugar so they can customise their brew how they like. Set out some Pams Classic Tea Bags, Pams Café Roast Instant Coffee and Pams Malty Hot Choca - something for everyone!
