Afternoon Tea at The Merchant Hotel

There are many different stories that claim to explain the of the origin of afternoon tea but one of the most widely accepted is that the Duchess of Bedford (1783-1857) came up with the initial concept!

The noon meal had become smaller, and so the Duchess suffered from "a sinking feeling" at about four o'clock in the afternoon. At first the Duchess had her servants sneak her a pot of tea and some buttered bread. After a short time indulging in this light meal alone, she decided to invite some friends to join her in her rooms at Belvoir Castle. The menu centred around small cakes, sandwiches, assorted sweets, and of course tea. This proved so popular, the Duchess continued it when she returned to London, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walking the fields." This practice of inviting friends to come for tea in the afternoon soon became widely enjoyed.

The Merchant Hotel is justifiably proud of re-introducing traditional afternoon teas in all their glory, to the city of Belfast. All afternoon teas at The Merchant Hotel are served in the traditional manner, with a selection of finger sandwiches, delicate pastries and scones with clotted cream, all gracing a silver tea stand. This is complemented with tea, coffee and maybe some Champagne. Afternoon Tea at The Merchant Hotel is served Daily from 12-4.30pm and is accompanied by live piano on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 





View the Afternoon Tea menu here >>