Navigating Tea breaks at conferences/meetings in Nigeria with class

William Hanson Afternoon Tea

Most times when we attend meetings/conferences we would be offered a cup of tea/coffee or  would have a tea break ,knowing the proper way to navigate tea time is essential for the top flight executive.

Here the UK's top etiquette expert William Hanson takes us through how to navigate teatime with poise and class.

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Bringing it closer home, in Nigeria sometimes pastry  snacks  or finger foods are served during a tea break and most times it is a serve yourself  scenario please note the following:

• Do not be the first to go to the tea table, you portray yourself as being hunger and too eager for food this is never a good vibe to give off.
•  If it is an array of several snacks pick a saucer and pick one of each  snack and place on your saucer
• If it is already prepacked pastries (i.e Meat pies,Sausages & Doughnuts) or packs of finger foods pick only one pack of food no matter how hungry you are (you always have to be considerate of others).
• Make your cup of tea/coffee and pick your snack and an extra saucer and a napkin

How to hold a tea cup

• At your seat place your cup of tea down, remove your snack from the plastic (nylon) bag and place you snack on the extra saucer. It is not elegant to eat from a plastic bag 

Eating finger foods

• When you have finished eating dab your mouth with the napkin 
• Most times you  have glasses placed in front of you for use with bottled water,  always use a glass to drink water and never  directly from the bottle. This is certainly a more elegant way to drink water.

To read more on the etiquette rules for afternoon tea click here

Credit: You Tube William Hanson

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