Only the most hardened dieter can resist the pleasures of afternoon tea. Its enjoyment, whether it is a simple slice of home-baked cake or dainty sandwiches followed by scones oozing with jam and cream, is part of our culture and is a tradition acted out each and every day in tea-rooms up and down the country.

</p>This then is the perfect book for all tea-time lovers with over 100 recipes chosen by the un-crowned queen of British cookery, Marguerite Patten and is published as a tribute to and celebration of Marguerite's 90th year. There are recipes for cakes, breads, biscuits, sandwiches and savories from England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland as well as recipes from teatimes around the world. But teatime isn't teatime without a pot of tea so the book also traces the history of our national beverage with a guide to all the different blends and styles available.

</p>Marguerite Patten is one of Britain's best known and best loved cookery writers. She is the author of over 170 books and numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Her Cookery in Colour was first published in 1960 and with sales of over 2 million copies has broken all records in cookery book publishing.