Afternoon Tea Baking - Pret a Portea high fashion bakes

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends.

I hope you're well today. Have you made any baking related New Year's Resolutions this year? Maybe you'd like to try baking the sweet treats that you try at afternoon tea? Already love baking, but want to try something new? I might just have the book for you!

Pret a Portea - High Fashion bakes and biscuits

Before we go any further I want to assure you that this isn't an ad, I'm not being paid or rewarded for this blog post in anyway. I bought the book when I enjoyed afternoon tea at The Berkeley last year and was so impressed with the recipes that I wanted to share it with you.

'Prêt-à-Portea: High-Fashion Bakes and Biscuits' was published to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iconic fashion inspired afternoon tea served at The Berkeley and includes 20 recipes and baking techniques from the hotel’s Head Pastry Chef Mourad Khiat. 

I'm a home baker, I follow simple recipes and enjoy what I make but I have wanted to stretch myself a little and this book was perfect. The recipes are really easy to follow and the book contains lots of photos of the process as well as the finished items so you can see what you are supposed to be doing. 

Pret a Portea - High Fashion bakes and biscuits

Inside the book you'll find 20 iconic sweet treats that have been served as part of the Pret a Portea afternoon tea experience at some point in the last ten years. You'll also see what fashion item inspired the sweet treat. 

From the Blueberry sponge handbag inspired by Anya Hindmarch to the rainbow meringue summer mousse inspired by Mulberry, or the red sole and sparkle biscuit inspired by Christian Louboutin....you'll find all of these and more in the book!

My baking from Pret a Portea 

One of the items I decided to try was the pearl pump Sachertorte inspired by Nicholas Kirkwood, which featured a Chocolate Miroir finish. Having not attempted Sachertorte previously I was a little apprehensive when I started.

The recipe was broken down into easy to follow sections, making the chocolate sponge and jam filling first, followed by the chocolate Miroir. The recipe also includes styling details to help you finish your bake in the same way as The Berkeley. As you can see from the images I didn't quite follow the styling details, but I was still very impressed with my wonky finished cakes!

They were so shiny that even Niffler was impressed....

A bit wonky, but very shiny! 

This book also contains the best chocolate Brownie recipe I have ever come across. The recipe is very simple, but results in rich and gooey brownies that you will love!

I might have made these once or twice since buying the book....

The book is jam packed with scrummy photos, so even if you don't want to bake the cakes you'll probably spend several blissful hours drooling over the cakes!

As I said, this isn't an ad....but if you are looking for an easy to follow book which will up your baking game then you might enjoy this one!

Do you have a favourite baking book? I'd love to hear all about it - leave me a comment!

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel

Time for Tea.....remembering the Pret a Portea Spring Summer 2018 afternoon tea

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - earlier this summer when it was still very hot in the UK I spent a rather wonderful Saturday with a friend enjoying a Pret a Portea afternoon tea at the Berkeley. I didn't share it at the time, but it was such a pretty afternoon tea that I thought I would revisit it now.

We've enjoyed a Pret a Portea several times previously, but as they change the menu twice a year to reflect the latest styles and fashions its always good to visit again! The Berkeley is an elegant hotel located in Knightsbridge and their afternoon tea is just as beautiful as the surroundings you enjoy it in. Let's start this afternoon tea adventure by staring wistfully at one of their pretty teacups....

I know I'm biased because purple is my favourite colour (I'm typing this blog post on my purple laptop), but the Berkeley china is so pretty. The cups are big enough that you get a decent amount of tea without needing to refill your cup every two minutes, but pretty enough to still look dainty.

As tradition dictates the savouries are served first - a selection of finger sandwiches and bite sized treats which look as pretty as the crockery they are served on.

Each diner has a whole plate full of perfectly filled finger sandwiches - that's a total of six fingers each! Plus there are two mini bowls and another savoury. You will definitely not go hungry at this afternoon tea!

The sandwiches are freshly made, with a variety of fillings. Pleasingly there isn't a crust in sight and the sandwiches look fairly uniform. The chicken sandwich was probably my favourite, a roast corn fed chicken with spring onion and celery emulsion on onion bread....I might have enjoyed more than one of these!

The little bowls of savoury goodness were as pretty as they were tasty - both pleasing to the eye and the palate. Again, they were freshly made and the flavours were well balanced. The crab dish was my favourite, the flavours were delicate it was so pretty....

You are offered....encouraged even....to indulge in as many savouries as you can enjoy. But remember to leave room, there maybe no scones in this afternoon tea feast but there are plenty of sweets to be enjoyed.

How pretty is this stand.....

This is the Spring Summer 2018 Pret a Portea and it will be different to the one you would enjoy if you visited The Berkeley now, but the sweet treats will be just as pretty! There were a total of nine different sweets, including biscuits, patisserie, cakes and mousses. 

Each sweet treat is inspired by a fashion designer and looks amazing, you'll spend a long time trying to decide which one to try first! The waiting staff are extremely knowledgeable though and happy to help with flavour recommendations.

I really enjoyed the upside down black forest gateaux which consisted of a chocolate cone (far right in photo above), layered with chocolate and vanilla cream and cherries. This was recommended as a favourite by our waiter and it definitely didn't disappoint! 

I can also highly recommend the biscuits - beautifully decorated and flavoured.

The whole afternoon tea experience at The Berkeley is a delight from start to finish. The surroundings are elegant, the staff are professional but friendly and the food is both beautiful and tastes great too. Plus you'll have plenty of photos for your Instagram feed!

Slightly more expensive than the norm - this tea is a treat, but well worth it. For more details pop by The Berkeley website

Thank you for popping by today, we look forward to seeing you again soon.

Rachel & Lorna

Time for Tea.....The Berkeley

Hello there....I hope you've enjoyed national afternoon tea week and had the opportunity to indulge in a little tea and cake at some point this week! I also hope that you've enjoyed our various afternoon tea posts this week - have you joined in with our scone debate yet?

This post is a rather lovely one as Lorna and I have recently sampled the delights of the Berkeley's fashion afternoon tea Pret a Portea. As the name suggests this is a themed tea, which is inspired by the themes and colours in the fashion world. The tea changes twice a year to reflect the new season, and this is our second Pret a Portea.

As you enter the Berkeley in London its as if you're entering a different world, far from the bustling London streets just outside, the Berkeley oozes elegance from the moment you arrive . Once through the main doors you are welcomed into the Caramel Room where tea is served. You are greeted by a table that looks something like this.....

 

Your name is printed onto a bright pink shoe (I love this attention to detail), and you are surrounded by really pretty bespoke china and a wonderful menu which illustrates the delights ahead of you. Each sweet element of the tea is inspired by a fashion item and once it all arrives at your table the more than helpful waiting staff will describe each item to you.

 

I'm pleased to report that not all the attention has been given to the sweet items of this tea...the savoury lovers amongst you will be delighted by the freshly made sandwiches and other savoury items that are presented to you.

 

 

The sandwich selection included an egg mayonnaise roll, a salmon sandwich, a smoked cheese sandwich, a beef and horseradish sandwich and a cream cheese and cucumber sandwich. All were delightfully tasty, and the bread was extremely fresh. As well as these items you can also enjoy a prawn cone and various taster spoons. As with all good afternoon teas you are invited to eat more (if you can fit it in), however my advice would be don't get carried away with these wonderful savoury items....there is so much more to come!

 

 

Here is the full selection of tea (minus the warm scones, cream and jam that were served a little bit later), on the bottom tier you can see the other savoury items. Above the savoury layer there are two tiers of the most amazing sweet treats (and you might be able to see a very happy Lorna in the background of the photo!).

 

There is a wonderful selection of teas on offer, including a selection of fruity teas which are served in tall latte glasses. As you can see from the photo there is also the option to include a glass of bubbles with your tea...which of course we indulged in (well it would be rude not to!).

 

 

Now I thought you might like a closer look at the sweet treats on offer! In amongst here you will find a chocolate biscuit heel inspired by Manolo Blahnik, a pistachio and vanilla pannacotta inspired by Dolce & Gabbana and a white chocolate and Grand Marnier treat inspired by Prada. This only covers a few of the sweets, the amount of different sweet creations is very impressive. Its a truly amazing experience (whether you love fashion or not) and I think there is something for everyone here.....plus a lot of things that you'll have never tasted before!

 

The Berkeley has an amazing attention to detail and the staff are all so friendly and helpful. As returning guests we were welcomed back with a wonderful chocolate plate.....

 

 

I really liked this touch as it made the tea all that more personable.

 

A Pret a Portea will cost you £39.00 per person, which may seem like an expensive treat, but considering the detail and the quality of the food and drink I think is a reasonable price. If you want to add a glass of champagne it will cost you £49.00 per person and your tea will include a chilled glass of Laurent Perrier Champagne.

 

All in all this is a very enjoyable experience - a perfect afternoon tea for you and your girlfriends. They also offer you a doggy bag to take home some of the sweet treats that you might not have room for - so you can continue the experience at home!

 

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna

 

 

Blast from the past (part 1).....some of our favourite tea experiences!

Hi there,

So, we have another afternoon tea booked very soon...but just in case you fancied some tea and cake before then we thought we'd share some of our past favourite experiences with you!

An afternoon tea that is dear to our hearts is the tea served at The Savoy in the beautiful Thames Foyer. We've indulged in a spot of tea here no less than three times, with the most recently being for Lorna's 30th Birthday when we visited with a group of friends. This is most definitely a luxury afternoon tea, an occasion to dress up for. The finger sandwiches are delicate, there is a fine selection of teas and of course the cakes and pastries are to die for! A good point to remember is that you can also buy some of the cakes served at tea from Savoy Tea - the cute tea shop situated just outside the Foyer.....a chance to take a little bit of luxury home with you.

A selection of cakes and pastries served in December 2012

 

Another favourite tea is Pret a Portea served at the Berkeley, a must for all you fashionistas out there! Each season the Berkeley creates a wonderful new tea inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world...take a look at the tea we had earlier this year.....

 

Not only does this tea look spectacular, but the food served all tastes good too - not a case of style over substance here I am pleased to report! We had a delightful afternoon, eating yummy treats and the service was really friendly too.

 

Finally I wanted to share with you something a little more affordable, a weekend treat rather than a payday treat! Last year a fabulous little tearoom opened by in Farnham, Surrey, called The Vintage Cake House. It's right up my street with a wonderful shabby chic feel to it, yummy cakes and of course mismatched china! On my first visit (yes there have been more than one!) I enjoyed the wonderfully, friendly service and a cream tea (even though it was only 11am!!). Here is what I got for my money.....

 

 

 

Not bad at all for under £6!! The scone is served warm and it was huge! There is a good selection of tea to pick from too. If you happen to be in the area, you should definitely pop in for some cake!

 

Anyway, that's our first blast from the past - we hope to see you again soon, we've got lots more to share!

 

Thanks for popping by today,

Rachel & Lorna