Elevenses

Encyclopedia : E : EL : ELE : Elevenses

These articles are all part
of the Meals series
Common meals...
Breakfast
Second breakfast
Elevenses
Brunch
Tiffin
Lunch
Tea
Dinner
Supper
Dessert
Snack
See also...
Cuisine | Kitchens

In the United Kingdom and Commonwealth, elevenses is a snack that is similar to afternoon tea, but eaten in the morning. It is generally less savoury than brunch, and might consist of some cake or biscuits with a cup of tea or coffee. In Australia, it is called morning tea (often little lunch or playlunch in primary school). The name refers to the time of day that it is taken: around 11 am. The word "elevenses" is seen as a little old fashioned, and few people still refer to morning tea as such, though it is still used in much of Britain.

In fiction, Winnie the Pooh preferred honey on bread with condensed milk, while in Middle-earth it is a meal eaten by Hobbits in addition to second breakfast. Paddington Bear often took elevenses at the antique shop on Portobello Road run by his friend Mr Gruber and usually received some sound advice about his current thorny problem at the same time.