An English tea party lends itself to a variety of convenient locations. If weather permits you to be outdoors, a garden, balcony or terrace are wonderful choices. If indoors, a formal sitting room or dining room will work well. In an office environment the board room or the staff room will suffice.

A proper table setting is an important element to help establish the tone of the gathering.

You will need:

• A clean white ironed tablecloth.

• Proper china tea cups and saucers - these are essential - no mugs allowed! Raid your grandmother's china cabinet or check out your local Vinnies for some gorgeous mix-and-match options

• A sugar bowl and small milk jug

• Teaspoons, silver if possible

• 1 teapot per 4 guests

• 1 side plate per person

• Napkins - linen would be lovely but pretty paper ones are also fine

• A selection of pretty trays and platters to display food - a tiered tray is ideal

Finally, a selection of typical English flowers in little crystal vases. Roses, the national flower of England are the obvious choice, but any pretty English cottage-style flowers will create the atmosphere and fit the occasion.

Twinings, who have been the official suppliers of tea to the English royals since 1837, suggest serving at least 2 types of tea at an English tea party. Twinnings suggest that Earl Grey pairs well with sweet foods like scones and cakes, whilst Darjeeling or Assam pairs well with savory items like sandwiches.

When selecting teas, be sure to opt for proper loose-leaf tea, no tea bags please.

To make the tea:

Bring water to a boil before pouring over 1 teaspoon of loose-leaf tea per cup in a prewarmed teapot (usually 4-5 teaspoons per teapot). Cover with tea cozy and allow to steep for 4 minutes.

Pour tea through a strainer into each cup. Let your guests add their own milk (never put milk in first), and finally, sugar to taste.

Strictly speaking, there is a classic order to serving food at an English tea party; first the savoury items, then the scones (recipe below), then the sweeter items. Unless you are lucky enough to have an English butler to serve your guests in this order, it is perfectly acceptable to lay all the items out on a table at the same time and let guests help themselves.

Savoury food:

Sandwiches are an English classic and an easy crowd pleaser. Choose classic traditional fillings such as cucumber, smoked salmon and egg mayonnaise. Make sure the crust is removed and the sandwiches are cut into 3 long fingers. Keep in an airtight container or cover with a very slightly damp tea towel to keep from drying out until they are ready to serve.

Sweet Treats:

This is where the bakers amongst us can get creative; little butterfly cakes, lemon curd tarts, macarons, and a Victoria Sponge are all classic choices. Miniature meringues in pretty pastel colours could add a touch of whimsy as well. Some easy but no less delicious options would be classic English store bought shortbread biscuits, custard creams and ginger snaps.

Scones must always be included in a proper English tea party, no ifs or buts.

Classic Scone Recipe:

2 cups self-raising flour

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

3/4 cup cold milk

Directions: Preheat the oven to 230 C and line a baking sheet with grease-proof paper. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers until it resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add the chilled milk all at once. Stir with your hands until just combined then turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead gently for 30 seconds then roll out to an inch thick. Cut into rounds using a biscuit cutter or upturned glass dipped in flour and place on the lined baking sheet. Brush tops with extra milk and bake for 15 minutes or until they have risen and the tops are golden. My Nanna Flo made these scones from sight without ever measuring anything (which I don't advise for novices) but she said the key to light fluffy scones was not to "bother" the scones too much, knead the dough as little as possible and handle them lightly and quickly.

Serve warm with pots of thick cream & strawberry jam on the side.