This comprehensive guide in official partnership with the hit TV series Downton Abbey is a lavish celebration of the elegant institution of afternoon tea, filled with recipes, historical facts and etiquette guides.

With over 150 stunning photographs featuring stills from across the series and right up to the latest film release, this collection of 70 delicious recipes will give you everything you need to take afternoon tea just like the Granthams do in the much-beloved series.

With a foreword by Gareth Neame, executive producer of Downton Abbey, this book investigates the history of tea, covering its origins and varieties, the etiquette surrounding its consumption in English aristocratic life, and its presence in the series, both upstairs and downstairs.

The book then turns to 70 recipes for delicious bakes, bites and assorted sweet and savoury delights to accompany a delightful afternoon tea, with sections on:

• Pastries, buns and biscuits - Whip up classics like the cream scone or chelsea buns, as well as enticing delicacies such as raspberry eclairs and chocolate florentines.
• Cakes, tarts and puddings - From colourful Battenburg cakes and lemon tarts to warming spicy dark gingerbread or steamed toffee pudding, these irresistable bakes will have something to suit every taste.
• Tea sandwiches and savoury bites - Enjoy mini pork pies and cornish pasties, or make carefully trimmed tea sandwiches to complete any spread.
• Preserves and spreads - Make aromatic strawberry-rhubarb jam, currant jelly or lemon curd from scratch to accompany your bakes.

This carefully curated selection of recipes spans the world of Downton, from intimate afternoon tea taken in the drawing-room to glamorous tea parties in the garden.

Full of photographs and quotes from Downton characters, with this book you can recreate the rich traditions and flavours of Downton Abbey Afternoon Tea time and time again.