Tea Etiquette
DRESS APPROPRIATELY
To be attired in smart casual. Avoid sneakers, slippers and sandals. You should look neat
PUT YOUR PINKIE FINGER DOWN
The proper way to hold a teacup is to hold the handle with the pinkie finger down, never up.
HOLD THE TEACUP BY THE HANDLE
Don’t cup your hands around the teacup. The teacup should only be held by the handle. (With the pinkie finger down.)
MIND WHERE THE HANDLE POINTS
The handle of the tea cup stays at 3 o’clock, unless you are left-handed and then you turn it to 9 o’clock.
STIR UP AND DOWN, NOT IN CIRCLES
Move your teaspoon up and down (6PM and 12AM), gently folding in the sugar or milk.
Making noise with the teaspoon is frowned upon so make sure your spoon doesn’t clang and touch the sides of the teacup. Also, don’t tap your teaspoon on the side of the teacup.
KEEP THE SET TOGETHER
If someone is pouring tea for you and asks you to pass your tea cup to them, pass with both the saucer and teacup.
DON’T DRINK FROM YOUR TEACUP WITH THE TEASPOON IN IT
After you’ve stirred your tea, put your teaspoon on the saucer either on the right side or behind the cup. As a general rule, don’t leave your teaspoon in your teacup.
DON’T PUT THE TEASPOON IN YOUR MOUTH
The teaspoon shouldn’t go in your mouth, as funny as that sounds. It’s there just to stir the tea if you’re adding sugar or milk.
SAUCER STAYS ON THE TABLE
When you’re sitting at the table, there’s no need to lift up the saucer to drink from your teacup. The only time it would be proper to pick up the saucer is if you’re more than a foot or so away from it, as in the case you were standing. Then the saucer would be held on your left hand and the cup held on the right.
DON’T BLOW ON THE TEA TO COOL IT DOWN
What are we, savages? Let the tea cool on its own if it’s too hot. Don’t blow on the tea.
TAKE SMALL SIPS OF TEA
Don’t make loud slurps when drinking your tea. Take small, quiet sips. Yup, doing everything quietly is a common etiquette rule.
DON’T SWISH YOUR MOUTH WITH TEA
Your tea isn’t a mouth rinse. (Even if you do it quietly.) Don’t swish the tea around your mouth.
USE MILK AND SUGAR ONLY FOR BLACK TEA AND CHAI
Only use milk and sugar for black tea — never for green, white, or herbal tea.
EAT YOUR FOOD IN THE PROPER ORDER
The correct order to enjoy the food that accompanies afternoon tea is savory to sweet. You can use your fingers to eat all three courses. To eat a scone, you simply break it in half with your fingers. Put the clotted cream on first, followed by the berry jam or lemon curd provided on top if you wish.
