Is there anything as quintessentially British as afternoon tea? The custom for drinking tea is steeped in history and is thought to date back as far as 3000BCE in China. Here in England, we started drinking tea in the 1660s. Afternoon tea as a concept began around 1840 when the 7th Duchess of Bedford, Anna Maria Russel, found herself getting hungry in the afternoon at around 16:00.

The NHS Big Tea has been set up to celebrate the birthday of the NHS. This year the NHS is 74 and to celebrate we are hosting an afternoon tea and the Imperial Hotel Blackpool. The Imperial are not just offering a simple pot of tea and a bit of cake; the experience is composed of many delicious elements (both savoury and sweet!) that you’ll love. You’ll be served a small cup of soup and a hearty sausage roll in addition to sandwiches, scones and cake. The sandwiches are delicate and tasty on soft bread. There’s nothing “usual” about the sweet treats, either! There’s an array of bite-sized delights which have been lovingly prepared to really showcase the talents of their pastry chef and to really tantalise the palette.

To accompany this fantastic afternoon tea, there will be live music from Owain Jones, raffle and stalls for you to have a mooch around, including…

Jo Lonsdale Art

Tropics with Katie Lou

Lytham Candles

The Little One Print Shop

By joining us for this wonderful event you will be celebrating the NHS and all that it has done over the last 74 years whist raising money to enhance patient care for your local NHS.

Please note groups under 8 will be on mixed tables.