Afternoon Tea
Before you begin, please take a breath.
About Afternoon Tea
Afternoon tea is the time at The Salon when the butler brews the tea and carries in the three-tier stand. You watch the handling of the silver tea service and porcelain at close hand, and as the order of things and the splitting of a scone are shown quietly on the spot, please take a breath before you begin. For women only.
Tea begins with five gestures around porcelain and silver
Choose the room
Afternoon tea at Queen's Butler begins with choosing where to take it. The butler prepares the lights and seating in the dining room, the fireplace room or the bedroom.
Admire the porcelain in the cabinet and the butler's handling of it
The display cabinet holds porcelain of differing patterns and gilding. Watch the butler take each piece in both hands and turn it so that the gilding and pattern show to best advantage.
Tell us in advance if you are bringing food or drink
If you would like to bring pastries or drinks, please tell us what when you book. The house does not serve meals.
The butler brews the tea
The pot and cups are set, and the tea is poured quietly at your hand.
Take a breath before you begin
Even once the three-tier stand is placed, there is no need to reach for it in haste.
The three-tier stand gathers the afternoon into a single view
At Queen's Butler the three-tier stand is the piece that gives the afternoon tea table height and depth, and gathers it into a single view. The butler carries it in both hands and sets it quietly where it will not come between your gaze and your conversation.
The order of things, and how to split a scone, are shown gently on the spot. This is not a time for testing whether you remember the steps. At the moment you hesitate, the butler catches your eye and, if needed, adds a brief word.
On your own, one piece at a time at leisure; as a pair, the sharing becomes part of the conversation; for up to six, seats and pieces are arranged so that everything is within everyone's reach. The butler watches not how quickly the plates empty, but the moment you are ready to reach for the next.
See the silver and porcelainThe light and the distance the butler keeps change with where you take your tea
In the Dining Room
A table decorated with roses beneath a nine-light Maria Theresa chandelier. The three-tier stand and silver tea service are viewed face on, and the butler's handling of them at close hand.
Read more
Before the Fire
Sink into the wine-red velvet sofa with a blanket and a cup. The butler places the cup on the coffee table and withdraws to a distance that leaves the conversation undisturbed.
Read more
At the Bedside
On the morning of an overnight stay, a cup is brought as the curtains are drawn. It is set quietly beside the corbeille bed, and the butler waits without hurrying your waking.
Read moreThe silver and porcelain are not merely displayed: the butler uses them
| Piece | Provenance | Its role at afternoon tea |
|---|---|---|
| Silver tea service | F.B. Rogers, Victorian style, five pieces including the tray | Pot, sugar bowl and creamer are arranged on the tray and handled by the butler. Before carrying, the handles and the direction of placing are checked, and the tray is set on the table without a sound. Once poured, the service is returned to a place that leaves the conversation and your hands unobstructed |
| Royal Albert Heirloom | Six English cups and saucers | Placed before you with the pattern facing forward |
| Wedgwood Florentine Turquoise | Griffin-pattern pot, sugar bowl, creamer, cups and saucers | The turquoise pattern and gilding provide the accent colour of the table. The butler turns each piece so that the griffin faces you |
| Bernardaud Volubilis | Limoges porcelain with floral pattern and gilt rim | Placed so that the floral pattern and gilt rim show to best advantage, with the butler's handling in view |
| Three-tier stand and accessories | The tools of afternoon tea, including tea strainer and sugar pot | Carried by the white-gloved butler, with the gestures of their use in view |
The pieces of afternoon tea are not a collection whose provenance is merely read; they are handled by the butler before your eyes. The porcelain used is chosen by the butler to suit the day's preparations.
Seats, pieces and the butler's distance are chosen by number and occasion
| On your own | Admire the pattern on the cup and savour even the sound of the tea being brewed. Whether the butler stays in conversation or withdraws to the anteroom is yours to decide on the spot. |
|---|---|
| As a pair | Choose between facing each other at the table or sitting side by side before the fire. The butler leaves your conversation undisturbed, attending only to the cups and the stand. |
| Three to six | Seats are arranged so that everyone can reach the stand, and each cup and saucer is set individually. For photographs, the butler shows you the position where the pieces and the roses are in view. |
| For a celebration | Please tell us when you book what food, drink or small items for photographs you will bring. The house does not serve meals. |
| On an overnight stay | A cup by low light in the evening, and another as the curtains are drawn in the morning. Both are prepared for this time reserved for one guest only. |
What the house prepares
- The butler brews the tea, pours it, and attends to refills and clearing away
- The silver tea service, porcelain and three-tier stand are arranged to suit your number and the room
- The order of things and how to split a scone are shown quietly by the butler at the moment you hesitate
- Choose where to take your tea: the dining room, the fireplace room or the bedside
- For photographs, the butler arranges the stand, porcelain and roses into a single view
What we ask of you
- The house does not serve meals. You are welcome to bring your own food and drink
- Please check the ingredients and safety of what you bring yourself, and tell us the contents when you book
- The butler moves the silver and porcelain; please refrain from taking pieces from the cabinet yourself
The butler watches not only the temperature of the tea, but the pauses in conversation
Serving tea is not a gesture that ends with the pouring; it is the shaping of the time until you reach for the cup. Before lifting the pot, the butler checks the space on the table; after pouring, the cup is set so that its handle falls naturally to your hand.
Those who reach first for the stand, those who first take in the aroma, those who take a photograph before beginning: each calls for a different moment to speak. The butler imposes no fixed sequence, and judges the next preparation from your hands and your gaze.
Queen's Butler is run by the Japan Butler Association. The butlers who serve in the house keep not only the provenance of the silver and porcelain, but the gestures that handle them beautifully and without harm. The white-gloved hands, the soundless placing, the step back to the anteroom: please enjoy these along with your tea.
See the butler's hospitality
QDoes the house provide pastries or cake?
The Queen's Butler house does not serve meals. You are welcome to bring whatever you like. Please tell us what you will bring when you book.
QIs it all right if I do not know the etiquette?
Yes; there is nothing to learn in advance. At the moment you hesitate over the order of things or the splitting of a scone, the butler shows you gently with a glance or a brief word.
QMay I see the house porcelain?
Yes. You may admire the patterns and gilding of the porcelain in the display cabinet. Please leave the taking out and handling to the butler, and enjoy the white-gloved gestures as well.
QMay I enjoy afternoon tea on my own?
Yes, you are welcome to spend the time quietly on your own. You may enjoy conversation with the butler, or have them withdraw to the anteroom once the cup is set.
QHow many friends may join me?
Up to six guests may join you. The table, cups and three-tier stand are arranged to suit your number, so please tell us how many when you book.
QMay I bring food and drink?
Yes, you are welcome to bring your own food and drink. The house does not serve meals. If you have a food allergy, please bring only what you have confirmed to be safe yourself.
About bringing food and drink
- You are welcome to bring your own food and drink
You may also wish to read
The tea is prepared by your butler.
Tell us your preferred date and time, the number of guests and what you will bring.