Challenge: Part 1 of 2 in Afternoon tea

Afternoon tea for two at London’s swanky Dorchester Hotel (see above) can cost up to £100. The challenge? Host your own sumptuous afternoon tea – without scrimping on quality – for £10.

Is there anything more British than a traditional afternoon tea? I love dressing up and feasting on finger sandwiches, scones and cake in the elegant surrounds of a posh London hotel, but the eye-watering cost of (at least) £100 for two means that its strictly reserved for the most special of special occasions.

And now I’ve been challenged to replicate the same for £10. What madness is this? But I’m up for it, even if it means I’ll have to do a lot more legwork (and uh, cooking) than just swanning up to Claridges at 3pm.

The thing is, I’m not the best of cooks. In fact, I haven’t done much cooking for the past few years. So anything too complicated is out of the question. Plus, I really don’t want to spend the whole day in the kitchen baking all manner of cakes and slicing up slivers of cucumbers for the traditional sarnies.

So I’ve decided that my afternoon tea will have a retro spin. Why retro, you ask? Well, (a) it’s fun and (b) I like the idea of picking up some cheap-ish packets of retro English cakes and biscuits (think Jammie Dodgers, Iced Gems, Custard Creams and Party Rings) to save time (not to mention baking). But I can’t avoid freshly baked scones, and luckily for me, they’re ridiculously easy to make. I found my favorite scone recipe here. I also need to make some elegant sandwiches, but I’ll keep it simple and cut up a baguette for some rounds of smoked salmon with cream cheese. That’s food sorted.

The other issue is table décor. A traditional afternoon tea demands only the very best china and linen. But I only have one cup, saucer and plate. So I’m going to ask my friend to bring along her tea set. Hopefully I’ll achieve a kind of chic mis-matched vintage look. Fingers’ crossed, anyway.

Better get shopping. Here’s my list:

2 cups self-raising flour
30g butter
1/2 cup milk
jam (think I have some in the cupboard)
clotted cream
baguette
cream cheese
smoked salmon
leaf tea
biscuits and iced fancies