Afternoon Tea Week with William Morris + Spode

I've told you about my adoration for all things William Morris, haven't I? Great British design makes me ooo and ahh... as does afternoon tea. The two combined? Just magic!

It's Afternoon Tea Week this week, so to celebrate I prepared a cake and set up an afternoon tea buffet for Neil and his family who are down in Brighton staying with us...

If Afternoon Tea Week and the family calling round isn't an excuse to get your finest china out and bake a cake, I don't know what is. For me, any opportunity to get using my cake forks is one I can't miss, so when Spode, the masters in Great British tableware design, got in touch to collaborate for the occasion, I got excited. Their traditional tableware has been something I've coveted for years, the same for their sister company, who you'll definitely have heard of if you're into country classics like I am, Portmeirion. 

Believe it or not, my tableware collection (prior to receiving this stunning Morris Pure set) has always been a mess.

A beautiful mess, I think.

Over the years I've collected plates and milk jugs from my travels, saved vintage tea plates from being sent to the charity shop and been given hand thrown, hand painted cups I cherish as if they are my own children.

My addiction to ceramics has left my kitchen cupboards bursting at the seams. No matching plate set in sight. Everything is a mumble jumble. 

William Morris' designs play a strong feature in our house... I have cosmetics from Morris & Co, coasters in Strawberry Thief and a tea bag holder in Willow. 

There's something about his intricate and traditional designs I simply adore and I could LIVE in Standen House (my favourite National Trust property ever) where it's wall to wall Morris designs. The fact that they've been around for centuries and are still so timeless, being produced by the masses every day is a testament to how genius he was. 

Let me show you what I mean, aren't these pieces from the Morris Pure collection by Spode kitchen heartthrobs?

Featured in the collection:

Spode Morris Strawberry Thief Tea Pot (my absolute favourite from the whole collection, it sits loud and proud on my worktops when not in use)

Spode Pure Morris Cup and saucer in Willow (my plan is to take this to the office for my cuppas!)

Pimpernel Strawberry Thief Sandwich Tray (the perfect size for scones and battenburg slices!)

Strawberry Thief Dinner Plates (because cream cakes are a mess to eat, the bigger the plate the better!)

Strawberry Thief Cake Forks and a Cake Slice (I adore these! So ornate!) 

Gorgeous pieces, aren't they? I strongly urge you to have a little look at the Spode collections - if you're not a Morris fan there's lots of other traditional looking tableware to choose from on the site. 

Huge thanks to Spode for helping me prepare for what was a really nice afternoon tea catch up with Neil and his family. 

Have a happy afternoon tea-filled week all, 

Fi xoxo