High tea is now a very popular practice throughout the world.

But this wasn’t always so.

The practice of “taking” afternoon tea kicked off in the late 1800s.

Anna, Duchess of Bedford, is credited with creating afternoon tea in 1840, when she began having tea with a light snack around 4pm to ward off “that sinking feeling”.

Often the elite ate their evening meal quite late so people quickly took to the idea of catching up for snacks and tea in the afternoon.

Traditionally a time for the ladies, the event has nowadays become popular for anyone.

High tea originated with the rural and working class British, who would return to their homes at about 6pm for a meal of potted meats, fish, cheese, salads, sweets, and a pot of strong tea.

High tea nowadays is more of a fancy meal of sweets and small savouries accompanied by tea.