An English Lunch

Americans drink coffee; the English drink tea. Everyone knows that. Right? Wrong! Neither custom is true of either people all the time, or even most of the time.

Margaret and I were friends for more than 60 years, since college in the 1940's. I never drink coffee. She teased me about using only a single teabag to brew four cups of tea. Margaret was a typical American; she was a coffee drinker.

Before I went to England the first time, I wrote to Margaret, whose husband, Jack Cinque, was stationed in London. They invited me to stay with them. I was there for two weeks. Jack and Margaret treated me like royalty on a state visit.

On later visits to England, after the Cinques returned to the U.S., I stayed in bed & breakfasts in British homes. I was surprised how most English prefer coffee for breakfast.

On that first visit, Jack took Margaret and me on a Sunday outing to Oxfordshire. After our tour of Blenheim Palace, Margaret suggested lunch at a famous English inn. It was an elegant place, with linen tablecloths, real silver “silverware”, and waiters in bow ties and short black jackets. I had a traditional British lunch of lamb with mint sauce. Delicious!

When we finished eating, Jack asked the waiter to bring coffee for himself and Margaret, tea for me. Promptly the waiter brought their coffee. Then we waited for my tea. Jack and Margaret finished their coffee. Jack called to the waiter, “Where is the lady’s tea?” The waiter sniffed and disappeared.

We waited. It must have been 30 or 40 minutes before the waiter appeared again bearing a large, two-handled silver tray. He set before me a complete tea service. On this large tray were two teapots (one with tea, the other with hot water), a creamer, a covered sugar bowl, a dish of lemon, and a waste bowl, all in handsome embossed silver, and a single delicate china cup and saucer.

As I stared in amazement at this elaborate production, Margaret and Jack burst into laughter.

Evidently, I had created a faux pas. For the English, tea is not served at lunch but at tea time.