English High Tea High Tea originated as a British working class tradition and is a direct survival of the 17th-century eating habit of having dinner at 5 p.m.  Later in the evening a small supper known as 'rear supper' was served.This established eating pattern suited the hardworking labourer who, hungry after a long day's work, wanted his meal as soon as he came home, and the 'gentleman about town' who, after his early dinner, would play cards or frequent taverns or theatres "High" refered to the way it was taken, sitting atop stools in a tea shop or standing at a counter or buffet table. It was a cross between afternoon tea and supper, and for many it was the main meal of the day. This tradition led John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich to make his famous innovation of putting meats or other fillings between two pieces of bread. Today, High Tea has become a more elegant affair. Typically high tea is served at 3 or 4 in the afternoon with tea sandwiches, assorted puddings, cakes, crumpets and scones served with jellies, marmalades and spreads of various kinds. There is, a proper way to brew English tea. The teapot itself should be warmed in a stove or in a tub of boiling water before the tea leaves are placed into its bowl. Then boiling water should be poured over the leaves to step for five to seven minutes. Sugar cubes should be added after tea is prepared; milk before the tea enters the teacup. An infuser can be used to extract a richer taste from tea leaves. Water should never be boiled twice, as this creates a flat taste. Water may be added to the teapot to allow the tea leaves to steep fluidly while the first cup is drunk, and a tea cozy is necessary for keeping the teapot warm. There must be a small teapot, a tray, a sugar holder, a milk pitcher, tongs for sugar cubes, a saucer, a cup, and the tea itself.