Tea Time?

[PeteC]

What is the traditional tea time in the UK....1400 hours? I ask as the few times I'm on here these days after supper, things go dead at 2100 Thai and 1400 UK. I can understand the factors here....early to bed, out for the evening, movie comes on then etc. I can't understand the UK and EU posters who are here before......and then show up again an hour or so after. Pete

[Big Boy]

I'm not sure there is a traditional tea time. I normally eat between 1700hrs and 1800hrs.

At 1400hrs I'm normally at work, so shouldn't be on the forum anyway

[Spitfire]

I'd say it's about 3-4 pm traditionally, but now it probably only applies to the retired or your 'tea and biscuit' WI brigade or 'ladies of leisure' etc these days, no-one else probably has time for it now.

[Piesat42]

In the UK, tea time typically refers to the time at which afternoon tea is served. This time is usually given as 4:00 PM, but individuals may be earlier or later depending upon work schedules and breaks. Not everyone takes tea every day, and it may simply be an afternoon snack or can be an elaborate feast depending upon the occasion. Some people observe a slightly later tea called meat tea, which is usually heavier and is similar to the American dinner.

[Khundon1975]

4PM, tea, cucumber sandwiches and cake.

14 minutes to go.

[Arcadian]

In my young days the working class ate dinner at mid-dayish and tea (which was quite substantial) after 5pm. "Posher" people ate lunch, afternoon tea (4pm) and dinner in the evening. Teachers tried to tell us it was "school lunch" but to us it was always school dinners.

[redzonerocker]

afternoon tea time has always been 3pm in factories, warehouses & construction sites etc:|

can sometimes be confused with tea time used in various regions to descibe evening meal time.

not quite as traditional as it once was, maybe due to the change in modern work hours/practices & the increase in coffee drinkers/bars

[PeteC]

4PM, tea, cucumber sandwiches and cake. 14 minutes to go.

That quite literally would ruin my appetite for an evening meal which we usually do at 1800-1830. I guess many eat later and I think some as late as 2130-2200 hours. That would also destroy me as would be going to bed on a full stomach, the kiss of death IMO as you listen to your arteries clog up. Pete

[BaaBaa.]

In my young days the working class ate dinner at mid-dayish and tea (which was quite substantial) after 5pm. "Posher" people ate lunch, afternoon tea (4pm) and dinner in the evening. Teachers tried to tell us it was "school lunch" but to us it was always school dinners.

Agree with that. I think there is a bit of a working class/upper class and southern/northern divide on it.

I personally don't do "lunch", I have my dinner at midday and my Tea (evening meal) at around 5:30-6:00.

can sometimes be confused with tea time used in various regions to descibe evening meal time.

Yep, mine! You posh lunchers.

[STEVE G]

Tea time, as in a break for tea and not an evening meal should be between three and four in the afternoon in my opinion but as I'm a bit of a tea drinking fanatic, (coffee is foreign muck!) I tend to drink the stuff much more often than that.

[caller]

Tea time for me, now, is all day long! Like Steve, I hate coffee but drink copious amounts of tea, neat!

Years ago at work, tea breaks were between 10-10.45 for your allocated 15 minutes and the same deal from 3pm.

When a kid, in a working class household in SW London, dinner was midday and tea early evening, although it was the main meal - Pretty much as BaaBaa has already said.

Now I use lunch and dinner - changing times I guess.

I hate the traditional west country tea, of scones, cream and jam as I can't eat the cream. Love cucumber sandwiches, as long as a few drops of vinegar are available!

I still remember as a kid, going to church tea parties with my mum, held on the lawn of the church. So very English!

One of the last bastions of Englishness in schools are dinner ladies - not yet renamed food operatives or some other such nonsense, or God forbid, lunch ladies!

[redzonerocker]

Tea time for me, now, is all day long! Like Steve, I hate coffee but drink copious amounts of tea, neat!

i always begin the day with tea 2/3 mugs but the rest of the day is coffee (boatloads ).
wasn't always that way & the only reason i can pin it down to, was the introduction of the vending machine tea just doesn't taste the same from a v machine

Years ago at work, tea breaks were between 10-10.45 for your allocated 15 minutes and the same deal from 3pm.

pretty much unchanged in regular working environments.
self employment & flexi time working are the only real changes to the rule.

[Big Boy]

One of the last bastions of Englishness in schools are dinner ladies - not yet renamed food operatives or some other such nonsense, or God forbid, lunch ladies!

Sorry to ruin your weekend caller, but Mrs BB was a Lunchbreak Supervisor for a couple of years.

[caller]

Ok, thats the West Country out - you can become part of Wales - or anywhere really!

[Big Boy]