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Afternoon Tea is a delicacy and the most quintessential aspect of English customs. The tradition of drinking tea dates to the third millennium BC in China and the influence spread to England during the 1660s by King Charles II and his wife Infanta Catherine de Braganza of Portugal. However, it was not until the mid-19th century that the concept of ‘afternoon tea’ first appeared throughout England, making the custom fairly recent. Afternoon Tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh duchess of Bedford in the year 1840. At around four o’clock in the afternoon, the Duchess would become hungry and asked that a tray of tea, bread, butter, and cake be brought to her room. The evening meal with the household was served at around eight o’clock in the evening, which left a long period of time between lunch and dinner. This soon became a habit of hers and she began inviting her friends to join her. Throughout the 1880s, the pause in the day for teatime became a social event and upper-class and societal women would dress for the occasion in long gloves, gowns and hats.

The Red Lion Inn continues to honor this tradition of Afternoon Tea and the concept of taking a break in the day to indulge in aromatic teas and tasty treats. The Red Lion Inn features a vast antique collection of teapots procured by the late “Aunt” Mert Plumb and Jane Fitzpatrick, former owners of the Inn. The Red Lion Inn has begun offering afternoon tea services to revive the timeless tradition and infuses modern touch and elegance with the service. Afternoon Tea takes places Fridays and Saturdays starting at 4pm and the experience will last approximately one hour and can be chosen to be held in the Lobby, Side Piazza, Living Room, or Front Porch.

Take a look at the menu to see all the tasty treats and savories that will be served:

Base Tier	Mid-Tier	Top Tier	Tea Menu
Tea Sandwiches Curry Chicken Egg Salad Cucumber, toasted caraway aioli Smoked salmon and whipped cream cheese Ham and mustard	Pastries Cheddar and chive, raspberry, and white chocolate scones Clotted (double) cream, and seasonal preserves.	Sweets Macarons, petit fours, Fat Rascals	Loose Leaf Paris Blend, Black Tea Victorian London Fog, Earl Grey Organic Bangkok, Green Tea Temi Sikkim, Black Tea Indigo Punch, Herbal