No scone unturned

In Hong Kong's colonial past, afternoon tea was a formal affair popular among the wealthy elite, but now it has a more democratic and widespread appeal that is no longer so snooty.

Introduced in England by Anna Russell, the seventh duchess of Bedford, in the early 1800s, afternoon tea has since become an English tradition and a symbol of leisurely enjoyment.

In England a distinction between afternoon tea and high tea - a heavier meal likely to be eaten at the end of the day's manual labour - is still maintained. In Hong Kong, however, the terms are usually interchangeable and apply to the three-tiered tray service.

Nowhere does it better than The Peninsula, where long lines form for the tea service at The Lobby. While its famous traditional three-tier tea set featuring delicate bite-sized morsels and the graceful ambience created by The Lobby Strings and the 'neo-classical arches' are still tempting, the long queues have put off many potential customers.

Katherine Jay of Antique Patisserie is one of them. An avid fan of confectionaries, she has sampled afternoon teas extensively around the territory and has become quite the connoisseur.

'I love high tea but I cannot find a comfy place in Hong Kong. If I want to have afternoon tea with a friend, be it in a hotel or not, we have to queue. I prefer to book and avoid the queues,' Jay says.

'Another thing I don't like is that after all the queuing, when you are finally seated, there's still a queue next to you staring at you eat.'