When Anna, the seventh Duchess of Bedford, first introduced the notion of afternoon tea in 1840, little did she knew the tradition would continue.

Afternoon tea has become a quaint essential British past time as it gives us a perfect excuse to have tea and cake.

Now I know what you are thinking, ‘Anna, how can I have afternoon tea when all the cafes and restaurants are closed down?’

Well, my answer to that is to have afternoon tea at home, like I said, there no excuse not to have tea and cake. Having afternoon tea while staying at home is easy, here let me show you.

Here’s a quick guide on how to have afternoon tea while staying a home:

Brew your favourite cuppa

Whether you enjoy flavour herbal tea or just like something a little more traditional, there no reasons why you can’t brew your favourite cuppa. Have it in your favourite mug or perhaps get the fine china out – make it extra special.

Invite your friends over Skype

The lockdown rule state that you should not invite your friends over to your home. So instead invite your friends over skype. Get your friends to have their own afternoon tea in their own home. This way, you can still have a chinwag and still enjoy tea and cake together.

Bake cakes or buy scones

Afternoon tea would not be complete without cakes and scones. So you can bake your own cakes or scones, or perhaps, cheat and buy a selection of sweet treats.

As you can see, there is no excuse not to have afternoon tea while staying at home.

Whether you’re an afternoon tea novice or an expert in the tradition, Age Co created an interactive map which allows you to view some of the best locations to enjoy afternoon tea across the country.

After browsing the locations within the map, why not try the Age Co afternoon tea etiquette quiz and share your results? Join in the conversation on Facebook, using #TeaTimeEtiquette.

[A collaboration with Age Co.}