Tea Party Diva

In the Victorian era, breakfast and household roles were clearly defined.
The woman’s place was definitely in the home. Before the advent of electric stoves and microwaves, the Victorian era wife spent a lot of time in the kitchen, unless she had servants.

The following is advice to a new wife in 1897, taken from an etiquette book of the period.

Note the tea and coffee amongst the veritable feast of Victorian breakfast offerings.

As wife to your husband, it is your most fervent duty to present him with your most agreeeable manner at breakfast, as well as to provide him with the comforts of a well provisioned table.

Set before him a hearty breakfast of
• fresh sausages
• boiled eggs
• a cold ham
• porridge with fresh cream & butter
• kippers
• a pheasant pie
• fresh curds and whey
• corn muffins
• fresh bread
• marmalade
• honey
• coffee
• tea

Never use a red and white checkered cloth on the breakfast table. The small pattern is upsetting to morning digestion.

Depending on the household, fine china, along with silver coffee pots and tea urns may have been used.

Victorian Era Breakfast - A Far Cry From Today’s Breakfast
A Victorian Era breakfast was a far cry from today’s often rushed piece of toast, coffee and processed cereals. Wouldn’t it be nice to have breakfast on the finest Royal Doulton tableware every day?

Only if you didn’t have to make it yourself, of course.

Times Past