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At Half Three, Time For Tea

If you live in the UK, you are probably familiar with the phrase, "at half past three, everything stops for tea". The ceremonious tradition of Afternoon Tea dates back to the 1840's when it was customary to have two meals a day, with dinner being later in the evening. The custom gained popularity when Queen Victoria took part in London and it has become a quintessential element of British culture, which is why we go above and beyond to make sure that Afternoon Tea at Macdonald Hotels across the UK is served with distinct attention to detail and homemade specialities using the finest fresh ingredients.

With tomorrow beingNational Tea Day, we want to celebrate our commitment to you, the guest, by sharing our top five reasons for why we LOVE Afternoon Tea.

1.Shaking up the normal routine:We all like having a set schedule, but there's a thrill to taking a detour from your everyday routine with an indulgent mid-afternoon treat. It's a great excuse to maybe leave the office a bit early too…

2.Perfect timing:A catch-up with a friend is always a good idea, but before work demands getting up obscenely early, and after work who has the energy? A mid-afternoon break is ideal for squashing your 3PM slump and being bright-eyed and bushy tailed to catch up on all the latest gossip.

3.Savoury meets sweet in the most delicious of ways:For a typical meal dessert isn't always just included at the end as part of the package, but with Afternoon Tea our savoury, mouth-watering scones and delicate finger sandwiches are interchangeable with decadent cakes and sinfully sweet offerings.

4.You'll feel super fancy:It's undeniable that there's something fun about the whimsy of the tradition, especially when you're using a saucer under your cup and there's a three-tiered platter of delectable goodies in front of you.

5.Taking part in tradition:Just like the ladies and gentlemen before you, when your Afternoon Tea is done, you're part of a custom that has been practised for generations. Foreigners definitely earn a stamp of Britishness in their passports and for native Britons it's a treasured pastime that generations of your family members have taken part in before you.

Now the only thing left to discuss: cream first or jam first? We'll leave that one for another day…