A Spot of Tea | 英式下午茶
Written by: Xiangyu | 湘渝
Translated by: Wuyi
Editor’s Note:
This article is excerpted from Haha! Britain — a charitable bilingual publication co-produced by The Mothers’ Bridge of Love (MBL) and River Cam Breeze. The book is a lively collaboration between 42 Chinese authors living in the UK and 36 university-based volunteer translators. With wit and warmth, the stories capture the everyday realities of Chinese communities in Britain, offering an honest look at the cultural clashes, humour, and adaptation that arise in the space between Chinese and British ways of life. Haha! Britain has been warmly endorsed by several well-known figures in UK-China relations, including Stephen Perry (former Chairman of the 48 Group Club), Luise Schäfer OBE (former British diplomat and Chamber of Commerce chair), Professor Hugo De Burgh (former BBC editor and academic), and British scholar Martin Jacques. The book’s title was handwritten by celebrated British-Chinese artist Qu Leilei, its cover illustrated by bestselling Chinese author and poet Feng Tang, and the postscript contributed by Xue Mo, a prominent voice in contemporary Chinese literature.
Illustrated by Tian Tian
Imagine a summer’s day in England, where the sky is clear, the light is perfect, and the temperature is just right. Beneath a wisteria-draped tree, a round table is draped in a beautifully embroidered tablecloth, and adorned with fresh flowers and gleaming tea sets. Imagine sitting there, with no worries or concerns; just pleasant idle chatter among female friends. There is no need to think about Monday or household chores, or the endless to-do list at work. This small slice of afternoon tea time slips through the fingers like delicate sand. Another Sunday afternoon drifts away, leaving a touch of contentment tinged with melancholy.
This idyllic scene described above took place in the charming garden of an old friend in Cambridge. We spent our time sipping tea and admiring flowers, the memories of which remain vivid and warm as if they have quietly been preserved into the amber of time.
In England, traditional afternoon tea is usually served between 3:00 and 5:00 in the afternoon. In hotels or tea gardens, it comes with specialty black tea and a traditional three-tier stand: a selection of tea sandwiches on the bottom, traditional English scones in the middle, and decadent pastries on top.
A home-style afternoon tea is more relaxed, with choices varying from Chinese tea to different tea-time snacks based on preferences. Afternoon tea is all about creating a calm and gentle atmosphere, akin to the subtle interactions between ancient Chinese intellectuals. A few glasses of sparkling wine add a bit of cheer, with no pressure or expectation.
My first English afternoon tea was in the mid-1990s. Shortly after starting my PhD in the UK, my supervisor invited our research group to gather at his home. “Just an afternoon tea,” he said. At the time, I had been in England for less than three months and felt like an outsider, disoriented and uncertain about the future. However, that first afternoon tea soothed my mind and granted me a brief respite from my homesickness. The conversations had on that day may have faded, but the sense of camaraderie I experienced has been deeply imprinted on my memory.
Since then, I’ve enjoyed many an afternoon tea. I’ve had tea in iconic places like the Orchard Tea Garden – a quintessential spot in Cambridge – and tea in more tranquil places, like in a boat along the River Cam. One July afternoon, I even hosted tea for a distinguished professor from Beijing, who was visiting her son at Cambridge. “Afternoon tea? Why?” she asked, puzzled.
“The best option for a poor cook,” I smiled.
No kitchen smoke, no bustling restaurants, no boisterous crowds – just a tranquil moment, quietly spent together amid the wild greenery at home. As she quickly came to appreciate, afternoon tea is neither a grand dinner nor a rushed lunch. It is a harmonious interlude where hosts and guests spend time in comfort and at ease.
After nearly thirty years in England, I have come to appreciate the charm of afternoon tea. It is like a mirror of the reserved nature of the British. It can be indoors or outdoors depending on the weather, short or long, rich or simple, with flexible timing. The tea itself might not matter, but who you share it with does. Each person is an individual, and our shared moments can be dazzling or subtle, but each encounter is always unique.
About the author
Xiangyu is a PhD in environmental sciences and an alumnus of the University of Cambridge. Xiangyu has lived in the UK for nearly 30 years and has long been engaged in environmental and climate change research and consultancy.
想象中夏季的英格兰，明媚的天空，光线恰到好处，气温怡人。紫藤环绕的树下，有一张圆桌，铺着洁白的绣着花边的桌布，上面摆着鲜花和漂亮的茶具，熠熠生辉。你坐在那里，什么也不想，什么也不做，只是有一搭没一搭地和女友们说着话。这时候，你不用想周一的蓝调，也不用想家里孩子们的一地鸡毛和工作的无底洞。你有那么一小段下午茶的时光，和那些可爱的人在一起。浅笑嫣然，时间的美好如指尖的滑沙，又一个周日午后的日子悄然而逝，你有一点儿满足，也有一点儿惆怅。
这个情景是在剑桥一位老友家精致花园里的下午茶，它始于疫情中难得的小聚。品茗赏花，至今温暖如初。时间的琥珀，悄然凝聚。
英式下午茶一般在下午 3 点到 5 点进行。如果在酒店或茶园享用下午茶，除了品尝专用的红茶，还常有下午茶点心“三层架”：底层放置各种口味小巧的三明治（Tea Sandwich），中间层是英国的传统点心司康饼（Scone），最上层则是小糕点等。私家改良版下午茶则没那么讲究，丰“简”由人。茶可以是中国茶，点心也看主人和宾客的喜好。下午茶，颇有君子之交淡如水之风。不温不火，云淡清风。几盏气泡酒，只是助兴罢了，没有太多压力，也无所求。
我的第一次英式下午茶，应该在 90 年代中期。刚到英国读博不久，导师请我们研究小组的人员到他家小聚。他说：“下午茶啊，大家随意。”于是，一个小雨缤纷的下午，组里的同仁带着搭便车的我就去了。那时我抵达英伦不到三个月，还处在懵懵懂懂的状态。喝着一杯暖茶，那堵在心头想说又无法说的乡愁，似乎找到了一点喘息的机会。既来之则安之，前路未知，又有什么关系呢。那天说了些什么已不记得了，可是那种其乐融融的触动还留在记忆的深谷。
2000 年《剑河风》杂志社在酝酿之时，我们从剑河撑舟逆流而至，到果树茶园（The Orchard Tea Garden）小坐。秋天的果园，苹果红了，小鸟跳跃，一盏一桌，一树一席话。也曾在格兰彻斯特绿草地（Grantchester Meadows）野餐，谈天论地。那时聚在一起的故人，现如今有的走散了，有的还在联系。多年前，我们还曾约三两好友，在剑河乘一叶扁舟，指尖滑过河水，与天鹅同游，喝一程船中的下午茶。那茶香至今留在齿间，若有若无。2022 年《剑河风》编辑部的小聚，是初夏一个周末下午茶。门前的吊篮姹紫嫣红，后院的果树生机勃勃。那天阳光正好，天空澄澈，定格季节的美妙。
2023 年雨水较多，夏季也时不时变天。北京一位才华横溢的教授来探访在剑桥大学读书的儿子，约好 7 月的一天在寒舍喝下午茶。她问：“为何下午茶？”笑答：“厨艺不济，只好以茶待客。”是呀，没有烹饪的油烟，没有餐馆的繁忙，没有觥筹交错。下午茶，只是一小段专注的时光，一起安静地打发。即使身旁的绿植野蛮生长，那又何妨？
下午茶，既没有晚宴的隆重，也没有午餐的时限，主人与客人，各自随意，彼此相安。
旅居英伦近三十年，慢慢开始体会到英式下午茶的妙处，有那么一点儿像英国人含蓄内敛的性格。下午茶可室内也可室外，全看天气。可短可长，可丰可简。时间上也可灵活。下午茶也许不重要，和谁一起喝茶更重要。每个人都是独立的个体，交汇的光芒有时灿烂，有时平淡，都是特别的相遇机缘。有幸相识，有幸知你我姓名，足矣。
至于私家英式下午茶的精髓，就是那一份随性吧，写意多于写实。
作者介绍
湘渝，旅居英国近三十年，环境科学博士，剑桥大学校友。长期从事环境与气候变化的研究与咨询工作。
Both the Chinese and English editions of Haha! Britain can be purchased at the following platforms:
Daunt Books Marylebone: 84 Marylebone High Street, London W1U 4QW