A high tea suits every occasion. Because apart from the fact that every high tea contains various types of tea, above all it offers a lot of room for your own input. In this blog you will discover how to add a touch of spring to your own high tea. For example by baking with spring fruits and dressing the table to create a fresh and colorful whole. Chances are that everyone will want to join you, for example for Easter.

Baking with spring fruits

When you bake with the season, you're sure to put the most flavorful dishes on the table. Which fruits are most delicious right now? A small sampling of the possibilities already offers many tasty options: cherries, kiwi's, strawberries, peaches, pineapple, apricots, lemons and apples. If you incorporate spring fruits into a high tea, you get, for example:

• Tartelettes with strawberry, kiwi and peach
• Petit fours or small cakes of cherries and chocolate
• A mix of strawberries, pineapple, kiwi, poffertjes on 10 cm long skewers
• Apple/apricot puff pastry flapjacks

Feast

A high tea is not tied to a particular menu, so you can design the meal entirely to your liking as long as you add variety to the dishes. Variety is the magic word to make your high tea look like such. This comes in handy if you not only invite your vegetarian friend, but also your father who prefers to eat only things he is familiar with and your vegan adolescent son sits at the table. There should also be several sweet treats on the table. So don't just make several savory pies that you slice into points, but alternate. Place a glass of cheese sticks next to a tray of chocolate puffs and, on a cake tray, build a tower of macarons melting on your tongue in pastel colors. It becomes extra British if you put some typically English dishes on the table such as sweet scones with clotted cream and lemon curd, sandwiches and muffins.

Tea time with Easter

Because of its festive nature, a high tea is perfect for Easter. A cozy meal, in the middle of the day, where the whole family or your entire group of friends join you. Start by borrowing a teapot from your friends, family or neighbors so you can put several on the table. Because when it comes to tea, you should also vary plenty. To do this, place a collection of teas next to each teapot. You can use tea bags for this, but know that loose tea has much more flavor. And that's how you take the high tea experience to the next level quickly but effectively. Don't forget to add a jar of sugar, honey and some lemon slices. If you want to go all out, get tea flowers from the better tea store or wholesaler. Fill the teapot with hot water and place a tea flower in it. In eight to ten minutes, the tea flower will slowly unfold and release its flavor into the hot water. Of course, you don't want to miss this spectacle, so try to pick up a transparent teapot somewhere that you can use for this purpose.

How do I put a high tea on the table?

Cake trays, serving dishes, bowls, glasses and plates. Actually, you can use all parts of your tableware at a high tea. For an exciting effect, alternate high items, such as cake stands, with low items, such as bowls. And don't make it too difficult for yourself: feel free to combine different tableware. Want to create a certain atmosphere?

• Bring spring to your plate and put a collection of colorful, colorful dinnerware on the table.
• At Easter, go for tableware in pastel colors.
• Prefer to stay in English atmospheres? Then use dinnerware with small flowers. 

Decorating your high tea table? Let's go outside

If the spring sun is shining brightly, have your high tea outside, in the garden or in the park. In your backyard, use long tables covered with tablecloths in light or bright colors. For the park, bring some thick picnic blankets to sit on. Wherever you are: an atmospheric setting is made in no time. Fill (plastic) glasses and vases with wildflowers or spring flowers for a lush oasis full of colors and scents. This might be a bit awkward in the park, but then hang a fabric flag line between the trees as a substitute. Does it work out that you're between two trees? Then stretch a long line between them so that it hangs above their heads and attach the menu to it with a few pegs. That way, the menu won't get in anyone's way and you can always take a peek at which dish you haven't yet tasted. Finally, decorate the area with a lantern here and there and your high tea will be a success before it has even begun.

Just another checklist for decorating, also suitable for indoors:

• Dinnerware for dishes: etagères, serving boards, cake trays, bowls and platters
• To eat from: small plates and bowls
• For drinking: water jugs, teapots (tea light holders), tea glasses and water glasses
• Cutlery
• Tablecloths and napkins
• Optional: picnic blankets
• Glasses and vases with flowers
• Fabric flag line
• Lanterns
• Menu cards

Enjoy!