It is no secret, that I absolutely love Afternoon Tea! In Denmark “Afternoon tea” is basically just a cup of tea and a biscuit, so when I moved to London 4 years ago, I was overly trilled and excited to find out that Afternoon Tea is so much more in this lovely new city of mine!

When my mother is visiting from Denmark, I always take her somewhere special for a lovely Afternoon Tea experience, This time we went to The Berkeley to try out the very popular Prêt-à-Portea Afternoon Tea – something I have wanted to do for a very long time! It was time to sit in the front row with all the famous designers! 

The 5 Star hotel The Berkeley is one of a kind. Stunning interiors by A-list designers, Afternoon Tea with a twist, outstanding service … everything about this luxury hotel is trendy and different. Even better… If you feel like exploring the neighbourhood, all the treats of Knightsbridge and Belgravia are on your doorstep. (A few favourites are Harrods and Harvey Nichols)

The Collins Room is stunning and a favourite with fashionistas and food-lovers alike. My beloved Chanel bag felt right at home here – and so did I! 

Ready-to-wear becomes ready-to-eat with the haute couture afternoon tea. I was very excited to see the Autumn/Winter Collection 2019 made in collaboration with fashion world tastemaker Laura Jackson

But first champagne! We were spoiled with a lovely glass of Laurent-Perrier Champagne La Cuvée Brut NV – I was in food/fashion heaven!

The champagne was served with Miso-scented madeleines with whipped chive cream, trout roe and gold leaf and Truffle baked new potatoes, wild mushrooms, blackberries, soubise veloute and watercress. Delicate and delicious!

No Afternoon Tea without sandwiches…

We had a very tasty selection of Roast fed chicken with truffle cream, Peppered pastrami with mustard celeriac remoulade, Home-smoked Scottish salmon with horseradish, Hickory smoked duck and egg mayonnaise and Baked heritage beetroot with aromatic peppered goats cheese. (See the full menu here!)

– And then the moment arrived! The moment, we had been waiting for… The gorgeous collection of cakes inspired by the Autumn/ Winter catwalk

Bonus-info: British people love tea – and tea consumption increased dramatically during the early nineteenth century. It is around this time that Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, is said to have complained of “having that sinking feeling” during the late afternoon. By then it was usual for people to have only two main meals a day, breakfast, and dinner (at around 8 o’clock in the evening). The solution for the Duchess was a pot a tea and a light snack, taken privately in her boudoir during the afternoon. Afternoon Tea was initially developed as a private social event for ladies who climbed the echelons of society. It was only when Queen Victoria engaged in the Afternoon Tea ritual that it became a formal occasion on a larger scale, known as ‘tea receptions’. Got to love Queen Victoria!

 

Glitter-spray on top of it all!

As mentioned earlier the tastemaker of the month is Laura Jackson. British Vogue calls her “a new genre of It-Girl” –  a modern muse to fashion brands, television frontwoman and supper club creator. Her latest collaboration is with The Berkeleys Prêt-à-Portea, where she immortalises the “Simone Rocha hair slides” that sparked an entire accessory trend.  If you look at the plate in the middle, you will see a  biscuit, resting on gianduja-glazed caramelia mousse and embellished with sugar pearls – the perfect cakewalk accessory and a pleasure to eat!

This season’s collection of distinctive designs also include a Moschino million dollar bill-topped pistachio delice (my favourite). Emilia Wickstead’s red velvet gown transformed into a croustillon-covered choux bun. I really loved the neon pink Molly Goddard design (that became a dressed-to-kill costume on Killing Eve) reimagined in spun sugar and finished at the table with glitter. Finally The Berkeley pay homage to Karl Lagerfeld’s last work for Fendi (The yellow coat bisuit), Richard Quinn’s latex eye-catchers and the iconic Jacquemus “Le Micro Chiquito bag” (how cute is this?)

We had such a wonderful time at The Berkeley. The Prêt-á-Portea experience was outstanding in every way! You simply must bring you mother or fashion-lover friend here for an unforgettable afternoon in the company of all the big designers!

Wishing you all a Happy Valentine’s Day!

We were invited as guests at The Berkeley. All opinions are as always my own

Louise x