Afternoon Tea
Anna Maria Duchess of Bedford, who was a lifelong friend of Queen Victoria, is credited with inventing the English custom of afternoon tea circa 1840.
At the time it was usual for people to take only two main meals a day, breakfast, and dinner at around 8 o'clock in the evening. The solution for the Duchess was a pot a tea and a light snack, taken privately in her boudoir during the afternoon.
Later friends were invited to join her in her rooms at Woburn Abbey. This practice proved so popular that the Duchess continued it when she returned to Bloomsbury, sending cards to her friends asking them to join her for "tea and a walking the fields."
As such, Bloomsbury has more than its fair share of establishments offering award winning afternoon teas and a perfect respite after enjoying all the experiences the area has to offer.