Jubilee unites Hong Kongers and Brits over Afternoon tea

Newly arrived Hong Kongers and local people united over afternoon tea in celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee today in Sutton’s Manor Park in Greater London. With both Hong Kongers and Brits loving their own version of a traditional afternoon tea, the 100 guests enjoyed a cup of English breakfast tea alongside Hong Kong ‘milk tea’ whilst getting to know each other over Victoria sponge cake and pineapple buns from Hong Kong.

Recent government figures show that more than 110,000 Hong Kongers have been granted visas to come and live in the UK since the British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(O)) visa scheme was opened on 31 January 2021. Sutton is a popular destination, with estimates that around 2,000 Hong Kongers have settled in the Greater London borough, with another 3,000 expected to come this year.

One of the local people attending was Sutton resident Emma, who came along with her husband David and son Eden. She said: “I want people to feel welcome when they arrive here.  I can’t imagine how challenging it must be to come from Hong Kong to live somewhere completely new with different systems and language. The Queen’s Jubilee celebrations are a perfect chance for people to take a couple of hours out to relax together and have conversations that might not happen otherwise.” 

Bonnie, who moved to Sutton from Hong Kong and enjoyed a jubilee cuppa with Emma and her family, said:

"Any chance to meet more local people is great. For the Jubilee my son’s school are doing a picnic and in the nursery where I work they are having a garden party. This is our first time to celebrate such things, it seems a huge event and it's good to be a part of it all. Sometimes when we talk with British people the language and topics they chat about can be hard to get into so chances to meet and mix are important." 

The celebration was hosted by local charity Volunteer Centre Sutton, which runs the Integrating Sutton project to welcome Hong Kongers. Volunteer Centre Sutton is a local charity which, through the use of volunteers, helps to address the needs of the community of Sutton and beyond. It is one of 47 national and regional projects awarded government funding from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to help British National (Overseas) families settle successfully into life in the UK.   The new project, Integrating Sutton, aims to support Hong Kongers to access housing, work, education and other support to ensure that they are able to quickly integrate and contribute to their new community. 

Janet Lo arrived in the UK from Hong Kong with her husband and two children in August 2021. She said:

"My family feel lucky to be here in the UK at the time of the Jubilee, as we are able to meet and celebrate with more local people in our community. Celebrating the Queen together at a local event is a precious opportunity to get to know each other better and a great chance to practise our English, which helps us to make more friends.” 

Eric Wong (44) came to the UK from Hong Kong in December 2020 and founded Trini, the company making milk tea for the event. He said:

"Milk tea is a special drink for Hong Kongers, it is not just about the taste but also the memories of home it brings. I am really happy that I’m able to share my skills and passion for making milk tea with local people in Sutton as we all celebrate the Queen's Jubilee together.  There is a historical connection between Hong Kong milk tea and the British tea culture so I hope the tea can be a bridge between our two communities, helping them to understand us and hopefully we can mix more."

The welcome to Hong Kongers comes not only from the UK government and local organisations but from the wider public too. Recent research from Ipsos and British Future finds that the BN(O) visa scheme is supported by nearly three quarters (73%) of people in Britain, with most (61%) saying they support the scheme because it is “the morally right thing to do”.  New ICM research for the Welcoming Committee for Hong Kongers shows that nearly a quarter (22%) of Brits are keen to attend social events to create contact between refugees and local people.