Coming into fashion throughout the 18^th and 19^th century, afternoon tea was a luxury social occasion for the British upper class. Nowadays, the fashion for afternoon tea hasn’t lost any of its steam. As a matter of fact, many people are looking for afternoon teas that are Instagrammable, meaning that there is an increased effort into aesthetics.

Afternoon tea is quintessentially British, but that doesn’t mean everything on the menu has to be inspired by these shores. So we are assisting to different trends of evolving the concept, creating fun and diverse bakes and experiences for anyone.

For instance, introducing flavours inspired by international food. With its layers of filo pastry and chopped nuts soaked in syrup, Middle-eastern baklava certainly meets the indulge criteria of an afternoon tea, just to mention one.

Another trend is quality, which is key as consumers won’t accept anything less than the best when it comes to afternoon tea. Awareness of the ingredients has become much more prominent, so governs much of the modern trends.

Whether the inspiration is health or world food, there’s a difference between keeping things fresh and making them unrecognisable. While it is nice to offer a couple of unusual pastries or sandwiches, afternoon tea is ultimately about tradition, so a focus should remain with this. In other words, a little creativity can only help ensure afternoon tea remains a tradition for centuries to come.