How to host a twee afternoon tea

The Traditional Tea

For the perfect cucumber sandwich use dense white bread sliced as thinly as possible. Butter the bread carefully before diagonally slicing translucent strips of cucumber, drying with kitchen paper and seasoning with salt and lemon. Lay on the bread the cut away crusts and slice in to four triangles.

Then it's pinkies out as you infuse your leaf tea in the chintziest teapot you can find (try Whittard.co.uk's Victoria Chintz range, pictured right), poured into grandma's heirloom mugs, and stirred with ivory handled spoons (www.okadirect.com).

The Cream Tea

To bake simple scones, rub 55g of butter in to 225g of self raising and a pinch of salt. Stir in 25g of caster sugar and 150ml of milk before kneading lightly on a floured surface and patting out to around 2cm thickness. Punch out 5cm rounds and lay on a lightly greased baking sheet before brushing with a little milk and baking for 12-15mins at 220C until golden.

Serve with good old-fashioned English Breakfast tea brewed in TG Green's Domino teapot (www.chandlersonline.com) and poured in to mix and match mugs on a lawn scattered with Cath Kidston floor cushions (www.cathkidston.co.uk).

The Fashion Tea

If you're too busy putting an outfit together to bake, leave it to Ninascakesandbakes.com to deliver super stylish, freshly baked cupcakes straight to your door.

Then just spread a graphic Alessi tablecloth (from Madeindesign.co.uk) over your table, brew pure White Silver Tip Tea (from Rareteacompany.com) in The Tea House's glass Picco Teapot (pictured left, from Theteahouse.co.uk).

Or, of course you could always pop the cork on some pink champagne if you're not ready for your afternoon tea to be teetotal just yet?