LUTON care home residents enjoyed an afternoon of tea, cakes and Prosecco as they marked Afternoon Tea Week and National Prosecco Day.
Residents at Little Bramingham Farm, an award-winning residential care home run by charity Friends of the Elderly, gathered on the home’s front lawn for a special summertime afternoon tea.
The event featured traditional sandwiches, cakes, scones and tea, alongside glasses of Prosecco to mark National Prosecco Day.
Emma Lawrance, Registered Manager at Little Bramingham Farm, said:
“The residents always thoroughly enjoy getting together for a delicious afternoon tea, so we thought it would be a wonderful idea to host a special summertime afternoon tea for them to celebrate this year’s Afternoon Tea Week.
“As luck would have it, National Prosecco Day fell on the same day as our afternoon tea event, so the residents also enjoyed a glass or two of fizz, which definitely suits their bubbly personalities.”
With the warm weather allowing the celebration to take place outside, tables were set on the lawn using vintage tea services and teapots.
Chef Jim Wright prepared a selection of sandwiches, including salmon and cream cheese, cheese and pickle, and ham and mustard.
Residents were also treated to mini quiches, pork pies, cakes and traditional fruit and plain scones served with clotted cream and jam.
Karen Charity, Activities Coordinator at the care home, said:
“The afternoon tea party was a real treat. As the weather has been so beautiful, we arranged for the afternoon tea to be served on our front lawn.
“The pretty tables looked lovely set with our vintage tea services and teapots.”
As part of the celebration, the home also held its own Little Bramingham Farm Tea Poll, encouraging residents to share their preferences and memories connected with afternoon tea.
One question produced a unanimous result, with residents agreeing that jam should be placed on a scone before the cream.
Opinions were more divided when it came to choosing between strawberry, raspberry and blackcurrant jam, while residents were also evenly split on whether milk or tea should be poured into a cup first.
There was also disagreement over whether the best cup of tea is made using tea bags or loose leaf tea.
However, residents agreed that afternoon tea is best enjoyed in the company of friends.
The discussions also encouraged residents to share memories of family traditions and previous afternoon tea experiences.
Resident Margaret Thompson shared the story of how tea bags are believed to have developed after American tea merchant Thomas Sullivan sent samples of tea to customers in small silk pouches in the early 1900s.
Other residents recalled their own family traditions.
Maureen Cain remembered her mother preparing a traditional afternoon tea every Sunday, while Patricia Jacobs shared memories of enjoying afternoon tea with her mother when visiting her in a care home.
Maureen also recalled her sister serving afternoon tea to mark special occasions including birthdays and anniversaries.
Emma added:
“The residents had a wonderful time celebrating Afternoon Tea Week and National Prosecco Day.
“It was a lovely afternoon which inspired positive reflections and fun, enjoyable conversations.
“As the saying goes, ‘Happiness is a cup of tea with good friends,’ and there was certainly lots of happiness at our Afternoon Tea Party.
“All the residents said how nice it was to be outside in the sunshine, enjoying the afternoon together.”
