Tea – the second most consumed beverage on the planet (after water), and one that we, here at Dishmatic, are certainly fans of. 

To help celebrate the humble cuppa and in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month we’re organising our own virtual tea party – Brew for Breast Cancer – on Friday 16 October.  Our aim is that people will take a little time our of their day to enjoy a brew, and perhaps a slice of cake, while raising awareness of breast cancer with the option of fundraising for relevant charities too. 

If like us, this is your first virtual tea party, we thought we’d share some of our thoughts on planning your event to avoid any storms in teacups…

  • Choose your platform. If you’ve already been using a platform for social meet ups or quizzes, why not stick to what you know for your tea event?  Whether that’s Zoom, Teams, Facebook (Messenger Rooms), Skype or WhatsApp. For more advice on hosting a virtual event on Messenger Rooms, click here. 
  • Set a time and invite your guests. Think about who you’re inviting and when they might be free – after all, tea is just about perfect anytime. We’ve got a range of graphics that you could use to help let people know you’re hosting a tea party – check out our social channels to find out more.
  • Consider fundraising. Could you set up your own JustGiving page to ask people for donations? Or, by all means, direct your guests to the charities we support, Against Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer Ireland and Young Pink Sisters. Maybe you could share favourite recipes in return for donations or fine people who forget to take their microphone off mute?! 
  • Get ‘tea party’ ready. Do you want to set a theme – think Alice in Wonderland, or are you going more highbrow with a black-tie event (the perfect excuse to get dressed up maybe?).  Can you involve the kids in helping you to decorate your space or would you rather keep it simple and sit back in your pjs? The choice is totally yours…
  • Perhaps add a challenge. Maybe you want to channel your inner John Humphries and host your own mas-tea-mind? Or, maybe it’s more of a Paul Hollywood affair and you challenge your guests to a virtual bake off? 
  • Think about an activity. Why not create the perfect teatime playlist? Or start your own brew book club? The world is your cup and saucer!

If you have any other ideas or tips, we’d love to hear from you – head over to our Facebook and Instagram pages to share your thoughts!