Bookings are booming as cafes and hotels update their traditional spreads to attract a new audience

Finger sandwiches, scones and tea sipped from bone china have long been enshrined as a British ritual. But a tradition that was once seen as the preserve of the upper and middle classes – as well as of older generations – is finding a new audience.

Sales of afternoon tea hampers are soaring, while more hotels, restaurants and cafes are creating their own offerings, some with increasingly experimental menus. Surveys suggest it is becoming more popular with younger people, partly inspired by how it will look on social media.