Afternoon tea

Some sandwiches, maybe a meat filled and also a veggie option, such as egg mayo or cheese. A homemade cake, a selection of biscuits and a large pot of tea.

Scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and maybe a light fruit cake or Victoria sponge.

Watermeadow
When you have afternoon tea at Claridges all the sandwiches and beautiful cakes are dainty. As you are an experienced baker ( unlike me [grin) I'm sure you could make a good selection, but make them half the size you normally would.

Finger sandwiches are always good for afternoon tea. For nibbles at a recent made bite size scones, about the size of a macaron. They went down a treat with cream and a halved strawberry on top.

Yes tiny very thin bread which needs buttering before you cut it - crustless sandwiches.

Tiny cakes which are a pain to make!

Dainty scones

Ear Grey tea.

Or champagne!

I would go for egg mayo sandwiches and perhaps ham or chicken ones as a meat option. I find scones tend to be too big, perhaps some fairy cakes would be better. I used to make cheese scones using my smallest cutter and fill them with philadelphia, they were always popular. Finish of with a victoria sandwich.

Sat having afternoon tea in London -can't remember where but on the table next to us were a Japanese lady and her daughter, who had clearly never ever seen or eaten tea. I was fascinated by how they approached it trying to make sense of how to eat it and what to eat first.

I have had two upmarket hotel teas and everything was miniature.Tiny crustless sandwiches using very thin bread, tiny scones using the smallest cutter in a round fluted cutter set and cakes like cocktail canopies.

Very fiddly for home preparation, but much easier when you are hotel with trained staff serving 100 teas a day.

The sandwiches and scones should not be too difficult to do at home but then I would do as others have suggested for the cake and just make a Victoria sponge and cut it into tiny slices.

Decide how formal you want to be. It is your home and your rules and as it is friends, they will just be glad to see you. Informal: one or two big cakes - traditional favourites like Victoria Sandwich / Coffee and Walnut - or formal: as others have said go small - but you could make one cake batch of, say vanilla, then divvy it up and add some coffee / chocolate or cocoa powder to make 3 varieties.

If it were me, I would e a bit tongue in cheek (Sounds so clichéd, but I used to be a vicar's wife and loved having tea at four!) I would make dainty cucumber sandwiches - crusts off and drape them with a damp tea-towel once made to keep very fresh. I would probably have just one other choice such as ham.

Cake, sandwiches and some very chocolatey biscuits would be fine - and you will probably have tonnes left.

Might also be fun to have a few different flavoured teas - earl grey, peppermint, etc, - tea bag choices to keep it simple.

You have made me long to get out the best china! Have fun.

I would make a fruitcake, cut French stick into 1inch slices, put a small selection of cheeses and a dish of butter. And an endless pot of tea. Or if you don't want a fruitcake, make a fresh fruit salad, and cream. Let them self-service. And enjoy the company!

And a dish of sweet pickled onions, and small tomatoes (bite size).

Thankyou all. I've decided to do sandwiches, egg mayo and cress, cream cheese and cucumber (I'm veggie), scones, fruit tartlets and chocolate brownies. All very small. I think Victoria sandwich is the most boring of cakes though all my older friends seem to like very plain stuff.

No cucumber sandwhiches! Call your self British? You should be truly ashamed of yourselves.
What has become of our country!

Oops sandwiches not sandwhiches.

You have forgotten to invite us..............

I'd make two or three different types of sandwiches, scones, jam, and clotted cream, and I'd make a Victoria Sandwich. I would probably put out celery sticks, and maybe a bowl of cherry tomatoes too.

Oh, and of course the tea, English breakfast for me and I'd chill a nice bottle of processco!

To be honest some of the best teas I've had over the years have been the iconic Cornish or Devon variety.
Just really good quality scones, offered with good unsalted butter, clotted cream and a homemade or high quality jam. Then endless pots of tea....in a pot with proper cups and saucers.

Smoked salmon sandwiches as well as traditional cucumber ones. Chocolate brownies and home-made shortbread. Scones, for me, are too filling nowadays but that's just me! Fruit loaf, thinly sliced and lightly buttered would be my alternative. Choice between Earl Grey or Ceylon tea.

Sounds lovely Watermeadow - enjoy. I agree with commenst above - make small scones as the large ones are so filling.

No idea what I'd make and cakes aren't my strong point, but if any of you ever want someone to test any of your offerings I'd be completely up for it.

What a lovely idea! Agree with everyone - possibly nice Victoria sponge, cheese sandwiches?

Seriously endorse the SMALL scones. Find today's magnums a real turn off. I would also inject some plain filled brioche into the sandwich selection. Adds to attraction and variety. SMALL macaroons also add colour and pleasure. I would certainly offer a starter glass of Prosecco depending on my knowledge of my guests.

Scones, separate butter, jam, cream, and a fruitcake u made a few days before. I'd have a plain biscuit too.