Afternoon Tea News.....Afternoon Tea at Chai Wu, Harrods

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends.

Today we're back with some news on a new afternoon tea that launched last month in the contemporary Chinese restaurant Chai Wu, on the fifth floor of Harrods in Knightsbridge. This afternoon tea adventure embraces the rich history of Chinese tea and indulges guests with a feast of refined cuisine, presenting an exciting alternative to London’s traditional afternoon tea menus.

Chai Wu - Harrods, Knightsbridge

Chinese tea has a cultural and historic legacy spanning thousands of years, yet with its many medicinal and relaxing properties it remains a tonic to the stresses of modern life. Chai Wu’s afternoon tea menu features six Chinese fine teas, such as Chrysanthemum Flower Tea and Ali Shan High Mountain Tea, an Oolong tea slow grown at altitudes of up to 1400m which produces a sweet flavour. A selection of premium teas from the Harrods Own range are also available, including the 1849 Blend, created to celebrate Harrods’ 150th anniversary, and Harrods Bari, planted for Harrods at the turn of the millennium in the hills of Darjeeling.

Afternoon tea - Chai Wu, Harrods - Knightsbridge

Chai Wu’s Head Chef Tong Fatt Kok has created an enticing menu of contemporary Chinese treats incorporating speciality and luxury ingredients. The gastronomic journey will begin with a palate-cleansing baby spinach soup, followed by the arrival of a stunning two-tier stand brimming with savoury morsels. This includes a selection of mouth-watering chopped salads with combinations of fresh ingredients such as; scallop, king crab, avocado with spicy mayo and grilled Shitake mushroom with kampyo, asparagus, avocado and yuzu dressing. Kaya Toast, with a caramel jam filling, is playfully presented as a finger sandwich; a nod to the quintessentially British afternoon tea tradition. Chai Wu is renowned for its expertly made dim sum, featured dishes include; Wagyu beef puff topped with gold leaf; lobster wonton, prawn dumpling with caviar and chicken steamed and fried gyoza.

Savoury afternoon tea treats - Chai Wu, Harrods

Savoury afternoon tea - Chai Wu, Harrods

The first of the sweet courses is Chendol, a hugely popular traditional dessert, where silky liquid layers of plum sugar, red bean paste and coconut milk suspend cubes of jelly and vibrant green rice flour jelly noodles. Finally, a platter of exquisite desserts include green tea cheesecake, mango mousse and a coconut and brown sugar filled pandan pancake roll.

Sweet afternoon tea treats - Chai Wu, Harrods

If you are looking for something a little bit different for your next afternoon tea adventure this certainly looks like a wonderful feast. The afternoon tea is available daily between 2pm - 6pm and starts at £59 per person. For more information pop by the Chai Wu website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Meet the Chef.....Dennis Easton, The Capital Hotel

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you are well!

Do you remember a couple of weeks ago we featured the afternoon tea launch at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge. Their fab looking new tea is a very traditional affair, featuring Victoria Sponge, Bakewell Tart and scrummy scones!

Afternoon tea
The Capital Hotel, Knightsbridge

After trying some of the scrummy afternoon tea we were delighted when Sous Chef Dennis Easton agreed to answer our nosey afternoon tea questions! So, what are we waiting for....let's ask those all important questions (and find out if Chef is a cream or jam first kinda guy!)....

How long does it usually take you to create new afternoon teas?
Six to eight weeks.  It's nice to take time to play about with different concepts, ideas and to work out what individual cakes and savoury bites work well together.  A great taste is essential but it is equally important to create a beautiful presentation with a variety of flavours, textures, and colours.

Where does your inspiration for new teas come from?
All sorts really but in the case of The Capital’s new afternoon tea it was childhood – a real nostalgic throwback to being a kid and loving that genuine British tea experience.

Sous Chef Dennis Easton - The Capital Hotel

What is your favourite part of your latest afternoon tea?
The Neapolitan ice cream, it's such a classic.  Ice-cream was and is always such a special treat.

Do you enjoy a spot of afternoon tea yourself and have you tried tea anywhere else?
Yes, I like to go for afternoon tea. The Savoy is probably one of my favourites in London but there are always new things to try.

What is your favourite filling in an afternoon tea sandwich?
Beef & Horseradish or Egg & Cress – again, they are the epitome of a typical British tea.

Sous Chef Dennis Easton - The Capital Hotel

The all-important question - do you put cream or jam on your scone first?
Jam first – and in case you ask, it’s tea first, not milk!

If you could invite any guest to enjoy afternoon tea with you, who would it be and why?
Winston Churchill: he’s a national hero and I am sure he would approve of our Great British Afternoon Tea at The Capital

Oh my - jam first? Well, I suppose we can forgive Chef as his scones are rather good (not sure if we've already mentioned the scrummy scones!).

Afternoon tea scones - The Capital Hotel

We'd like to thank Chef for taking the time to answer our questions - we always love hearing about how afternoon teas are created....and asking that nosey cream/jam question! We also love hearing where Chefs have enjoyed afternoon tea themselves!

The new afternoon tea at The Capital Hotel is available from Wednesday 9th September - more information can be found on their website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Time for....an afternoon tea launch, The Capital Hotel

Hello there,

Well I hope you've been enjoying Afternoon Tea Week.

We were very excited to be invited to a little afternoon tea launch that took place at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge this week. The Capital is a family-owned and family-run hotel in the heart of Knightsbridge, and they are taking afternoon tea back to its roots with a very traditional English experience.

Afternoon tea
The Capital Hotel

Launching on Wednesday September 9th The Capital Afternoon Tea features those traditional British favourites: Victoria sponge, Bakewell tart and crumpets all baked by the Michelin-starred team behind Outlaw’s at The Capital. 

When we arrived at the launch we found a beautiful spread, demonstrating what the new afternoon tea will look like, we were also given a sneak preview of their Christmas offering!

The afternoon tea launch table
The Capital Hotel

 The afternoon tea includes everything you would expect from a traditional spread. The sandwich fillings include cucumber, egg and cress, ham and mustard and a smoked mackerel pâté, there is also bacon and mushroom quiche to tempt the taste buds. There are plain and fruit scones which are served warm, with home-made strawberry jam and Devonshire clotted cream. The sweet selection includes Victoria sponge, Bakewell Tart....and something rather wonderful....a Neapolitan ice cream sandwich!

Afternoon tea savouries
The Capital Hotel

Afternoon tea scones - The Capital Hotel

Ice Cream sandwiches for afternoon tea
The Capital Hotel

As this was a launch event we didn't get to try the full afternoon tea experience, but we did get to sample some wonderful canape versions of the afternoon tea menu. Particular favourites were the lemon drizzle cake and the ice-cream sandwich.

Mini Ice-cream sandwich at The Capital Hotel

Rather scrummy lemon drizzle cake - The Capital Hotel

This afternoon tea adventure is accompanied by a selection of Jing’s tea blends ranging from old favourites such as Earl Grey to Green tea from Japan or fruit infusions. 

Jing Tea at The Capital Hotel

In additional to this wonderful spread the Capital’s award-winning Barman, Cesar, has created two afternoon tea cocktails using a spot of Sipsmith London Dry Gin for the base.  You can pick from The Basil Street Spritz which includes blackcurrant and hibiscus infused tea and Champagne or how about the Capital Citrus Blend which blends marmalade, orange, lime and apple juice, with Bohea infused tea and Curaçao.   

A sneak peek at the Christmas afternoon tea at The Capital Hotel

Afternoon tea is served at The Capital between 2pm - 5:30pm every afternoon and costs just £29.50 per person, making it a very affordable experience. Afternoon Tea with one of the cocktails costs £35 per person or The Capital Champagne Afternoon Tea comes with a glass of Ayala Champagne and costs £39.50 per person. For more information please visit The Capital Hotel website.

We'd like to thank The Capital for inviting us to their launch, we're hoping to pop back soon for the full afternoon tea experience.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

Afternoon Tea News......Mandarin Oriental London Launches Tea!

Hello there,

Welcome back to another afternoon tea post from Tea With Me and Friends. Today we have some tea-riffic news to share with you from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge as they launch their first afternoon tea in their new tea salon The Rosebery.

Afternoon Tea at The Rosebery
Mandarin Oriental

I bet you are wondering why I am so excited about this particular afternoon tea - well as well as being served in a beautiful tea inspired space (look at those green chairs and amber cushions!) the Mandarin Oriental also has their own Tea Master looking after the tea selections and brewing the perfect cup of tea for each guest.

Mandarin Oriental Tea Master at work

I had the pleasure of meeting the Tea Master this week and he talked me through the tea menu already on offer and the importance of perfect brewing in order to avoid bitter tea. I was also told about the exclusive blends on offer that have been created by The Rosebery in conjunction with the East India Company.

You can enjoy afternoon tea in The Rosebery every afternoon between 1pm - 5:30pm, after that the salon offers a selection of cocktails, Sake and Champagne until 11pm.

The Rosebery tea salon
Mandarin Oriental

The introduction of The Rosebery at the hotel is in fact a return to the early 1920s when the room was a stylish tea room frequented by Lord Rosebery, the British Prime Minister. The decor reflects the room's Victorian past, with a wonderful contemporary finish. A beautiful, light and airy space to enjoy a spot of tea in!

Unfortunately on this occasion I was too early to indulge in a spot of afternoon tea, but I will definitely be returning to sample the delights on their menu - to see what is included in the tea and for more information please visit the Mandarin Oriental website.

Thank you for popping by today,

Rachel