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Afternoon Tea

I adore Afternoon Tea and this year for my birthday I threw an Afternoon Tea party for a few close friends. So as always I made a list.
Sandwiches and Sushi
FOOD
I find it's best to try and keep it simple. Remember not everyone will want one of everything, especially the sweet stuff. I normally stick to baking enough for two thirds of the group having one each and always get leftovers. Plus there's no crime in buying in, sometimes it can almost work out cheaper!

Canapes: These consisted of my bacon and quails egg toastie cups, filo wrapped pigs in blankets, mini pizza cups, smoked salmon and cream cheese filo cups, pate and soaked raisin filo cups (I made 12 of each).

Sandwiches: I opted for the easy option and ordered a selection of M&S finger sandwiches (3 per person) plus I ordered a tray of sushi for my healthier friends (*Note: the sushi was the thing that got leftover).

The Cake: I decided on my Chocolate mud cake decorated in the naked style with a couple of untreated roses from my garden for decoration.

Sweet Treats: I made some Fruit tarts, Lemon meringue tarts, Scones, Rhubarb & custard mini cakes, Macarons, Mini meringue nests, Raspberry cheesecake bites (I made 24 scones they were bite sized and 24 macaron, the rest I made batches of 12).
DECORATION
I went with a white & glass theme for my decoration. This was mainly because there was 16 of us and I have 16 (well 40) white plates and lots of glass cakestands. I also found some fab inexpensive white bunting from Home Bargains and some little white chalk easels which were perfect for labeling the bakes.

To that I added white stocks in glass bottles along the centre of the table. I tied white paper napkins with raffia and added a small flower stem to each from my garden this looks really beautiful and is very inexpensive to do (Remember if its hot don't put the flowers out until the first person arrives or they will wilt before the end of the day).

The glassware consisted of bubble effect tumblers, kilner style water bottles and of course champagne saucers (which I adore).

I had a dessert table which carried on the glass and white theme, using my glass cakestands along with my #GBBO display cabinet to house some of the bakes.
Ice Bucket with waters & fizz
DRINKS
Water: I stashed 10 kilner style bottles in the fridge 2 days before so they were well chilled.

Fizz: I love M&S pink Processoco, I allow for half a bottle per person plus 2 extra bottles.

Tea and Coffee: Have the cups and saucers ready on a tray along with the tea/coffee pots milk jug and sugar bowl and the kettle filled with water. 
Pink lemonade: Well chilled, I bought 4 bottles.
MUSIC 
We just found a chill out playlist on youtube and had that playing in the background through my bluetooth speakers. 
Canapes filo cups filled with Pate with soaked sultanas
Filo cups with cream cheese and smoked salmon
Dessert Table
Cake & little easel
Scones with fab little bone handled
knives I found in Rye
Mini Meringues a take on my raspberry ones from
GBBO and raspberry cheesecake bites, served in my 
GBBO display 
Desserts 
Friends