Vintage Afternoon Teas: born in 2010, taking our first steps in 2011

January's finally over and we can heave a sigh of relief and start to think about spring. And cakes for Valentine's Day...

A new blog for a new year and I really do hope it will be vaguely readable. Reading about cakes isn't nearly as enjoyable as scoffing them, but much much healthier. And with most people on new year detoxes or Dukan diets perhaps it's a good time of year to just dream and read.

Since Vintage Afternoon Teas was born last September we've had a lot of interest in where the idea came from, so I thought I'd start there.

My love affair with afternoon teas probably dates all the way back to my University Days in London. I was in London and so how else to while away time on a student grant but taking afternoon tea at the Ritz? (having worked in the Halls of Residence kitchens most of the summer to earn some extra cash for such treats.) My best friend Sarah and I decided that only our poshest togs would do and we went just a little over the top with the dressing up. I wore a full length green satin evening gown with long black gloves, hair up and lots of diamante jewellery. Sarah had a long black frock on with a lace jacket and a huge feather boa draped round her neck. We dragged along two game (or mad) men friends. We certainly turned heads as we entered the hotel, in fact we were stopped and photographed by American tourists. It was a spectacular tea aswell as being brilliant fun and I should add that we weren't shy about asking for extra cakes. I'm ashamed to say we stole a linen napkin as a souvenir.

Much later in life and working in Manchester city centre, I was led astray by a number of co-workers, all of whom know their cake. Foregoing drinks after work for tea after work, we sampled a fair few of the offerings at some of Manchester's best hotels, including The Lowry, Radisson Edwardian, Great John Street and the good old Midland. All good, but the best by far has to be the Lowry with I think the Midland in second place. Thanks must go to these ladies (you know who you are) for our hugely sociable tea-sampling afternoons.

More afternoon tea for my 40th birthday. Being eight months pregnant, and whale-like with it, I wasn't really in a fit state to hit Manchester's nightclubs so instead I had a few girlfriends round for an afternoon tea. Twas most enjoyable making it and eating it.

And the final stop on the road was an afternoon tea I volunteered for my little boy's school auction in spring 2010. A lovely husband bid fifty whole pounds for it as a treat for his wife, so I did my very best to make it special. When the morning came, I prepared the sandwiches, scones, cake and macaroons (english style heaps of squidgy coconut) and packed it all into a basket with a box of tea, pot of cream, jar of jam and a bottle of fizz and delivered it to the school mum who'd invited her friends for lunch. Several ideas popped into my head as I was baking the scones, one being "this is really good fun" and another being "hmm I wonder if anyone else would actually pay money for this?".

Having thrown this idea at a few friends and family members and not been laughed out of the kitchen, I happened to be chatting to a friend Mike about the idea at a BBQ in the summer and he'd been having similiar thoughts about starting a little baking business. Mike used to be a chef and knows his bread and cakes, and that's where the idea really took on a life of its own. Mike loves baking, I love baking, we've got some time on our hands and a cupboard full of vintage crockery and tablecloths, so why not just get on with it?

So here we are several months in. It's been interesting, stressful at times, hard work, dusty (I'm thinking of icing sugar here), creative, and, most of all, superb fun. Thanks so far to all our customers, friends and family who've supported us. Here's to more tea and cake in 2011!