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Martin, we have never had cucumber sandwiches for cricket teas, and I have been doing them since I was a young lass at the tender age of 5.
Filled rolls/sandwiches, ham and cheese, cheese and onion, stay away from tuna (they don't seem to like that), tinned red salmon, ham, ham, haslet, corned beef. smoked salmon and cream cheese. Sliced quiche (homemade of course) - remember it must be a variety of brown and white these days. In bowls
pickled onions, chutneys, sliced onion. Little scotch pancakes, rice crispie crackles made with mars bars and melted butter. Any sort of tray bakes. (all home made, don't go to the shops get the ladies to donate cakes).

For that special occassion we use to do a good substantial salad at lunch time with hot new potatoes, good quality ham, turkey, beef slices. Tomatoes, cucumber, radishes etc lots of pickles and chutneys (have a look in sarah browns vegetarian cook book or Jamie Olivers books have good suggestions) - followed by hot apple pie with custard or cheesecake. My friend won tea lady of the year with this option.

Cucumber sandwiches?

Yes lovely for ladies having tea on the lawn, with a cup of Earl Grey (without milk of course) but not so much for the hungry males doing the batting, bowling and fielding, not to mention the upiring.

A good ploughmans, Gentlemen's Relish Pinwheels, giant cheese straws, or a big platter of cold cuts with cole slaw, hot new potatoes and various salads is good too.

I will also never forget HFW doing the whole salmon in the clubhouse sink!

This is also a good site to give sandwich filling ideas.

[link]

...whatever happened to cucumber sandwiches ... ?

Hi Sue,
Having watched my husband and his team devour many a cricket tea i'd suggest the following.
Traybake cakes - choc sponge, iced vanilla sponge, coconut sponge etc
flapjacks or chocolate cornfalke cakes again done in a tray keep the energy levels up!
Jammy scones
Hot sausage rolls/cheese and onion rolls on days when it's a bit nippy
All the traditional sandwich fillings, tuna mayo and coronation chicken seem to be very popular.
Hot nibbles are very popular as are wedges of pork pie or scotch egg. A big bowl of pickled onions is also a favourite. Don't worry about being dainty but it still needs to look appetising. What about a fruit bowl?
Ask the players for their input. The colts eat everything not nailed down and the slower moving vets need warmth. Tea and squash is needed in huge amounts to wash this all down too.
Hope this helps.