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Afternoon tea

H

HelenMW

Well-Known Member
I am being forced, for family reasons, to go for afternoon tea on Saturday. This is something I've never done and I'm truly scared. It's at 2pm and it's a 2-hour drive from where I live so I'll eat lunch and hopefully manage with just a drink but I'm worried my siblings will try to make me eat something. Would anyone ask for a plate of sandwich fillings without the bread and maybe a bowl of strawberries (if served)? I'm usually super-confident about customising a menu but this particular menu has nowhere to go!
 
Depends on your relationship with your siblings..I would just have the tea (drink) and eat nothing.
I really don't think you''ll find any low carb options just say you're not hungry?
If they are going to be stroppy and try to force you to eat maybe download a picture of a toe with gangrene and ask if they want your foot to look like that (but then again I am kind of that sort of person)
You could ask them "if I were vegan would you try and force feed me ham" .
or alternatively be really bolshie and just say I don't want to eat this c**p !
 
I have had this scenario too. I just drank the tea, and let the rest of them fill their faces with cakes and sandwiches.
This 'afternoon tea' lark seems to have become fashionable recently. I blame the 'Bake Off' type TV. Can't imagine why anyone would enjoy eating a couple of quids worth of sandwiches and several cakes, and pay upwards of £20 for the experience.

@HelenMW if your siblings are aware that you have diabetes, but would 'force' you to eat what you know is going to cause you problems, it it really worth the hassle of travelling that far for what seems to be an unpleasant experience bordering on abuse?
 
Thanks, I love this. 2 of my sisters are vegetarian so that's definitely the line to take!!
 
In my experience, most places serving afternoon tea are proud of their kitchen and chefs.
If you are feeling super confident a couple of days before, you could phone the venue and ask if they could provide a low-carb version for you. They are usually more than happy to provide vegetarian or gluten free option so I would get them to do some work for their £20 (or however much). A good chef should be willing to talk through their menu with you and help you chose something appropriate.
Usually afternoon teas are celebratory occasions: it would be a shame to have to sit there watching everyone else have fun or to have to get bolshy and spoil the ambiance.

Personally, I would take it as a chance to have a special cup of tea: most places have a choice beyond just Twinnings.
 
OK I'll give this a go. It's worth an ask and could save embarrassment on the day
 
Some people associate having a good time with how much food they can stuff in their face in an hour. A bit like Desperate Dan with his cow pie in the Dandy comic.

You could tell them you've given up the sin of gluttony for |Lent!
 
Have you seen a menu? Quite a few places around where I live - probably because of the rise in popularity of the "afternoon tea" have started doing alternatives.

In the past few months I've had a gents afternoon tea with pate, cheese and meats - ok there was bread and crackers but very easily avoided. A funky afternoon tea (I kid you not!) with curried stuff, meatballs, again cheeses and pate. And one Mediterranean one that was lovely hams and cheeses tomatoes, prawns and a bonus glass of prosecco

As it becomes more popular places have to diversify to tempt people by doing something no one else does so if you can find the right place it's a good time for afternoon teas
 
My wife and daughters like these afternoon tea things but I never go. They send me photos of towers of fancy cakes and sandwiches I can't eat and delicate china cups of tea which I don't like. Even when I ate carbs I was more of a doorstep sandwich and big slab of fruit cake person.
 
I did do an afternoon tea about 3 months after diagnosis. I didn't eat lunch. I had a couple of very small sandwiches, scone loaded with cream and a tiny bit of cake. I thought the 9 reading 2 hours afterwards was horrific at the time but by the time I got home it was down to normal. If your control is normally good I would think you could get away with a little bit if you wish to conform with what others in the family expect. I just enjoyed mine but haven't repeated it. I did go to a 90th birthday tea and didn't eat anything, don't think many people noticed because it was a buffet.
 
It's a pretty mainstream sandwich and cake menu but I've emailed and asked what they can do so fingers crossed!
 
It's the baby sister's 40th birthday. So many plans were made, including one sister cooking to suit everyone's dietary requirements but, as is always the way with family events, there have had to be so many compromises that it's come down to afternoon tea or nothing!
 
Yes I've often eaten nothing at a buffet and no-one seems to notice that
 
Maybe ask if they could make you a set of sandwich fillings to go in a Lidl hi protein roll, and a low carb mug cake type thing with almond flour? Send them a recipe if it might help

This lemon one is amazing!
https://www.rachelcooks.com/2013/03/01/meyer-lemon-mug-cake-low-carb-gluten-free-guest-post/

Failing that, you could maybe tell them that you can’t eat anything on their menu because of your medical needs, and see if you can take your own food so you can eat at your family celebration. It’d be a pretty mean place to not allow that.
 
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