Afternoon tea was introduced in England by Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, in the year 1840. The Duchess would become hungry around four o’clock in the afternoon. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at eight o’clock, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner. The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread and butter (some time earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread) and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This became a habit of hers and she began inviting friends to join her.

To serve an afternoon tea, you will need a tea set. A complete tea set consists of matching teapot, cups, saucers, plates, milk, sugar, and cake stand. However, in the past, pieces would have got broken and mix matched tea set were used.
Nowadays afternoon tea is as popular as ever and to own your own tea set is a must have. Even if it is completely matching or a combination of lots of brands.