When the wealthy British Kadoorie family founded The Peninsula hotel in 1928, it quickly became a popular meeting place for the community and, eventually, the rich and famous of the time. So why is afternoon tea so popular in Hong Kong?Īround the time that afternoon tea was becoming customary for the Brits, Hong Kong came under British rule (1841–1997). It was a hearty meal served at high tables (hence the name), usually between 5–7pm, featuring items such as meat pies, cold cuts and bread and butter – heavier foods to sustain those who had been toiling all day long and who would likely work throughout the evening. In comparison to “low tea” originating with the upper class, “high tea” was born by the working class. As tea became more affordable, the middle and lower classes began opening tea rooms around England so that they too could benefit from the fashionable upper-class trend.
The Duchess was Queen Victoria’s lady-in-waiting, and soon the Queen became a big supporter of the concept, regularly having what was known as “low tea”, due to the low tables on which it was served. This later evolved into fancier but still small and manageable bites such as crustless finger sandwiches and scones with jam and clotted cream. Duchess Anne saw the opportunity to invite her friends for a catch-up, and so afternoon tea was born as a time of day for women to socialise privately with simple, light food like biscuits, bread and butter. Sounds pretty normal, right? Well, the Duchess had actually bucked the trend, which, in Victorian times, was to abstain from eating altogether from lunch until dinner, typically served at 8pm.
Once upon a time around mid-afternoon at some point in 1840, Duchess Anne of Bedford felt a “sinking feeling” and requested that her maid bring some tea and light refreshments to see her through till dinner.
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