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The Talking Tables Truly Scrumptious range includes two distinct paper plate options in this tea plates category, and understanding the difference matters before buying. The 17cm plates reviewed separately are small tea plates – suited to individual portions at an afternoon tea setting and correctly sized for tiered plates for afternoon tea stands. This 23cm version is a full dinner-plate-sized disposable plate: large enough for a proper slice of cake, a complete party food serving, or a generous afternoon tea portion that a smaller plate cannot contain. At 4.7 stars from 241 global ratings – the highest community score of any product in this entire tea plates category – and Amazon's Choice status, the larger format has earned its own strong endorsement independent of its smaller sibling.
Why the Size Difference Matters
The 23cm diameter places these afternoon tea plates in the same size range as a standard dinner plate – 6cm larger than the 17cm small tea plates version, which is a meaningful difference in practical plating terms. Where the 17cm plates are ideally scaled for single finger sandwiches, a small scone, or a pastry, these 23cm plates can accommodate a generous cake slice, a full afternoon tea serving with multiple items, or a party food spread that would overhang a smaller plate. For events where guests are serving themselves from a buffet or dessert table – a garden party, a birthday, a wedding reception – the larger plate format is considerably more practical than the 17cm option.
For tiered plates for afternoon tea stands, the 17cm version is the better fit: at 23cm these plates are too wide for standard tier spacing and sit in a different use case entirely. The 23cm format is the event portion plate; the 17cm is the traditional high tea plate.
Pack of 24: The Quantity Advantage
The 24-plate pack doubles the quantity of the 12-pack smaller version, making this the more practical choice for events of any meaningful scale. For an afternoon tea birthday party for 20 guests, one pack provides enough afternoon tea plates with four to spare for seconds or spillage. For a garden party for 24, one pack covers the full event. The six unique floral designs in pastel hues rotate across the 24 plates – four plates of each design – which means at a table of 24, each design repeats four times. The visual variety is sufficient to avoid the uniform look of single-pattern disposable tableware.
The Vintage Floral Designs
The Truly Scrumptious floral palette gives these plates their vintage tea plates character: soft pastel pinks, blues, sage greens, and cream in a vintage-botanical style that reads as deliberately chosen rather than generic. Buyer feedback at 4.7 stars consistently highlights the visual quality of the designs – buyers describe them as “pretty”, “beautiful” and “almost too pretty to use”. One reviewer noted they were “absolutely beautiful pretty paper plates for a garden afternoon tea theme birthday party”; another described them as “delightful” at a BBQ where guests specifically noticed them. The vintage afternoon tea plates visual impact translates beyond afternoon tea to any outdoor or casual event table where a decorative paper plate creates a better first impression than plain white disposable tableware.
Honest Caveats
One buyer review specifically noted these are “not super sturdy” – a fair characterisation of paper plate construction at this size. At 23cm, a paper plate carries more flex than a 17cm plate, and heavy wet foods will cause bowing faster than lighter dry ones. For dry cake slices, sandwiches, and party bites – the typical afternoon tea and event load – the construction is adequate. For sauced dishes or anything with significant liquid, a ceramic or plastic plate is the better material choice. The same reviewer added “many people complement them” and would buy again – which frames the sturdiness caveat appropriately: it is a paper plate, and it performs well as one.
How These Compare to the 17cm Plates
The two Talking Tables paper afternoon tea plates options in this category serve overlapping but distinct use cases. The 17cm 12-pack is the traditional small tea plates option: correct proportions for a formal high tea setting, sized for tiered plates for afternoon tea stands, and the right format when plate size should be restrained. The 23cm 24-pack is the event plate: larger portions, more plates per pack, and the right choice when the event scale requires more coverage or the food being served is larger than standard afternoon tea portions. Both share the same Truly Scrumptious vintage tea plates aesthetic; the choice between them is primarily one of scale and serving context.
Who Should Buy These
These are the right disposable afternoon tea plates for events at any scale where a full dinner-plate-sized paper plate is the practical requirement: garden birthday parties, wedding receptions, baby showers, outdoor afternoon teas for 20 or more, and any occasion where the food being served benefits from a larger plate surface. The vintage tea plates character – the pastel florals and Truly Scrumptious branding – makes them visually coherent for high tea and afternoon tea events where the table aesthetic matters. The 4.7-star rating from 241 buyers is the highest community score in this entire tea plates category. For buyers who need traditional small tea plates at a compact scale for tiered stands, the 17cm 12-pack is the better starting point. For buyers who need 24 afternoon tea plates at a generous serving size with the same Truly Scrumptious visual quality, these are the answer.
