Afternoon tea outdoors, under an umbrella or against a shaded wall, is a wonderful treat, especially as all the food can be prepared in advance before the temperature rises too much.

It can sometimes be just the right occasion for entertaining, especially if inviting different generations, when lunch might be too long and boring for little ones, and dinner just too late.

It can also be a relatively economical meal, in that the ingredients are not expensive; only your time costs, but who counts that when it gives such pleasure to your friends and family?

There was one particular long summer afternoon I remember that slowly drifted into a soft warm night. A group of friends sat around on a lawn in a beautiful English garden. Some played croquet, others used the rough tennis court for volleyball. It must have been the early 70s, because grandad shirts and granny glasses, patchwork skirts and tie-dyed tops were worn.

Cucumber sandwiches and a cake, possibly scones too, appeared at the appropriate time, but I think I was too young to appreciate the special appeal of tea in the garden and had not, therefore, given its contents much thought.

If I were planning a summer tea today, I would seek inspiration from the Raj era, since in hot weather, I love outdoor food with a spicy flavour. And for something different I would make spiral sandwiches instead of the classic finger sandwiches.

To make spiral sandwiches, take a one-day-old tin loaf, and slice off the crust. Cut into horizontal slices, something less than one centimetre thick. Spread each slice with butter, and then your chosen filling, and then a little chopped greenery.

Roll up firmly from the short side, like a Swiss roll. Do the same with each slice. Put the rolls on a dish, seam side down, cover with clingfilm, and refrigerate for a few hours, until the sandwiches have firmed up. Cut into one-centimetre slices, arrange on a platter and serve. Brown or white bread can be used.

Greenery can include basil, young spinach, lettuce, rocket, mizuna and mustard and cress. Larger leaves will be better chopped or shredded. Sandwiches such as these are best filled, not with chunks or slices, but creams, pastes and mousses.

Crunch can be added to the meal with bowls of radishes, cucumber, carrot and celery sticks. In keeping with my fondness for spicy food outdoors in summer, I have suggested appropriate fillings. In some cases butter is included, in which case the bread does not need buttering separately.

One of my favourite sandwich fillings I make with minced cooked chicken, mixed with diced ripe avocado, chopped coriander, green chilli and spring onions, seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cooked ham, blended with butter, a little curry paste and mango chutney is also good, as is the same mixture, replacing the ham with hard boiled eggs. Or try finely chopped mushrooms and onion, cooked with curry paste.

While the mixture is cooking, stir in a couple of beaten eggs until just set. Allow to cool before using. And it’s hard to beat potted beef, rare roast beef, blended with butter and horseradish. Rocket is the perfect accompanying greenery here. And finally, try smoked mackerel, blended with butter or light cream cheese, green chilli, grated apple and spring onion.

Then there would be freshly made scones. These are quick and easy to make, especially if you keep the dry mix in an airtight box in the refrigerator, and just mix it when required, with soured milk or water and yoghurt.

When I used to do afternoon tea promotions at The Mark in New York, I would make up about 10 kilos of dry mix, which lasted me a few days. This is a useful strategy for a large household where afternoon tea is popular.

With the scones, if I could not get clotted cream, I would simply use the best unsalted butter I could find. Crème fraiche and whipped cream are no substitutes. Mascarpone is often used as a substitute, and while the thick, almost buttery texture is not much different, there is no flavour of West Country meadows and Jersey milk. Strawberry jam is the classic accompaniment, but I love home-made lemon curd with scones, and then you do not need cream, or butter.

If I were preparing tea on a large scale, I would also add one or two other traditional tea breads, such as crumpets, pikelets, Scotch pancakes, saffron buns, Fat Rascals and Sally Lunns. I would follow these with one or two large cakes, perhaps a fruit cake and a sponge cake, and probably my ginger cake, and then an assortment of tea pastries and biscuits, perhaps Maids of Honour and Petticoat Tails, or some rose and coconut macaroons.

A classic Victoria sponge is easy and versatile. But instead of cream or butter cream, I have discovered that ricotta makes an even better filling. This cake can also be served as a pudding, and the recipe can be adapted to autumn fruit as well, so a recipe worth keeping.

To drink, iced tea as well as freshly brewed hot tea, iced coffee, home-made lemonade are de rigueur, and for a celebration tea, I highly recommend my newly-devised champagne cocktail, full of summer garden flavours. A dry spumante or other sparkling wine would take very well to the same treatment.