Here's How Gen Z Is Changing High Tea

The tradition of afternoon tea has long attracted the rule followers and the etiquette adherent among us. It’s a formal tradition that doesn’t lend itself naturally to change, which is why I didn’t think twice about dusting off my old tea dress and brushing up on etiquette that I was sure would impress the gaggles of gray-haired ladies that would likely be seated near me in the dining room at the Hotel Maria in Helsinki, Finland. After attending nearly identical tea services around the world — in London, Chiang Mai, Chicago, Paris, Lima, New York — I had no reason to think that this one would be any different.

I walked into the room that afternoon expecting to have a lovely series of highly predictable moments, like towers of scones and cakes and arbitrary tasting notes on how a sprig of dill makes this cucumber sandwich different than the millions of versions around the world, but with one look around me, I knew something had changed.

Not only was I, in my 30s, the oldest guest with a reservation, but I was also the most formally dressed. The space was filled with crew-sock-wearing Gen Zers sipping locally infused teas and slathering cloudberry jam and “clotted” kermaa (cream) on Finnish wheat scones. The atmosphere was decidedly unstuffy, and people were interacting with their tea and snacks in a way that got me excited to see what was on the tray. Portioned bites of sugar-salted whitefish, smoked reindeer from Moisio Farms, and homemade malt bread took tea-sippers on a journey into Finnish cuisine, and it was more like an interactive tasting menu than any fusty formality.

It just felt … cool.

Lately, most of the reservations for afternoon tea at the Hotel Maria have been from Gen Zers, and it turns out the hotel is not alone. In 2023, three of the largest tea companies reported record sales due to Gen Z customers. The generation is into tea in a big way, but it’s not all just bubble tea and taro lattes; this visually driven demographic has taken to afternoon tea, and they’re driving change that’s making it fun for everyone to rediscover tea-time snacking in a fresh way.

This return to the tea room — especially from a generation that values creativity, inclusivity, and aesthetic experiences — has resulted in a reimagination of the entire afternoon tea experience. Chefs are now pouring more heart and creativity into their menus and tapping into inspirations that go far beyond “surprising sprigs of dill.” In London, famed French pâtissier Cedric Grolet turned his entire Goûtea menu at The Berkeley into a trompe l’œil (optical illusion) with a decidedly French take (the name is a blend of a British tea and French goûter, which is the art of snacking). Nothing is as it seems, as glossy sculpted fruits and savory bites pair with nontraditional beverages like flat whites, chai lattes, and mint infusions (not to mention glasses of vintage Dom Pérignon or non-vintage/nonalcoholic glasses of Wild Idol for an extra charge).  

At a modern afternoon tea, the menu is no longer sacred, and the formality is fading to a more approachable level with these next-gen tea experiences. In a suburb of Houston, Chinese American owner Michael Jiang sought to re-create the casual afternoon tea concept he experienced on his travels to Asia when he opened Proper Rose Garden in Katy, Texas.

“We like to be the spot people think of when they want to have fun,” Jiang explains. “A lot of guests have the wrong idea that you need to dress up to hang out with us, but we don’t have any dress codes. We’re focused on welcoming everyone.” Jiang’s menu has an Asian spin with a few Texas touches — Shibuya honey toast, tonkatsu sandwiches, green tea crepe cakes, deep fried Oreos, mimosa flights — and his tea list dances between traditional and trendy (i.e., potted rose milk tea vs. earthy Hojicha green tea). 

Playfulness and individuality are making their way into the ritual, and, for one Irish afternoon tea, turning 200 was the instigation for getting a little feisty in the dining room. It’s a bold move to play with a timeless tradition, and even bolder to offer recipes that predate the entire tradition. The Shelbourne’s 200th Birthday Afternoon Tea includes recipes from the hotel's archives — some dating 16 years before the first afternoon tea — all with a modern update. The 1824 recipe for “carrot cake” is served inside an edible flowerpot with blood orange gel and burnt sugar walnuts, and the oak smoked salmon rests between Irish treacle bread brushed with lemon gel. Although there’s a light formality to this tea (re: 200-year-old hotel!), it’s an Irish formality, which means you may just get a splash of whiskey in your tea — or your almond milk matcha latte.

Giving back is a pillar for the younger generation, but it’s also the driving factor behind a truly altruistic afternoon tea in Thailand. Available now through April 30, 2025 — and benefitting the Thai Autistic Foundation — The Art of Giving afternoon tea takes place inside the 137 Pillars Suites & Residences in Bangkok. Placemats designed by artists with autism set the stage for a very intentional tea service, where each course represents a defining value of the autistic community. Edamame mousse with Parmesan cheese in a charcoal tart resembles a miniature garden to represent the community’s ability to grow and serve, while a colorful dome of green tea mousse with red bean filling represents the imagination and creativity that children with autism express through art. The experience is beautiful, both visually and viscerally, and pairs nicely with their forest-friendly line of tea harvested in Northern Thailand.

Seasonality and sustainability are more important than ever on afternoon tea menus, and those are factors that chef Antti Hokkanen takes very seriously at Lilja’s afternoon tea at The Hotel Maria in Helsinki. Finnish bubbles start the experience, and the autumn menu includes reindeer from Finnish Lapland, lingonberry-caramel praline, and gooseberry jam. Diners can expect to see tiny, preserved pine cones soaked in syrup garnishing their sweet creations come winter along with favorites like malt bread and “clotted” kermaa.

Afternoon tea can be more than just a stuffy ritual of rules and analogous recipes. The food has never been better, the energy has never felt so fresh, and, regardless of which generation you identify with, there has never been a more exciting time to take tea.