It is the season to be jolly, happy and merry. What a better time to catch up and reacquaint with old friends, your loved ones and the nearest and dearest than a lovely festive Nutcracker themed afternoon tea? I’m sure you have seen that many hotels have started offering festive teas, but let me tell you something – The Langham‘s festive afternoon tea made by Cherish Finden is quite something special.
I was lucky enough to get the chance to preview the tea before it launched to the general public, which is why I am here telling you all to book yourselves in the minute it gets launched because it’s worth it. When does it launch I hear you ask? It starts on Friday 27th November and it lasts until 3rd January 2016, so make the most of it whilst it lasts.
The tea is served in the beautiful and newly refurbished Palm Court restaurant in The Langham Hotel, which is an exceptional experience that will certainly make somebody feel very special!
The afternoon tea at The Langham Hotel is served on it’s own with an array of delicious infused teas, or can be had with a glass of Laurent Perrier Brut Champagne or Rosé Champagne, however prices vary accordingly. Prices start at £49 per person.
To start off the tea, an amuse bouche is served, which is eggnog pannacotta with rum jelly. A fully festive start with full bold Christmas flavours, divine.
Cherish kindly served me their usual wedgewood lemon pannacotta too, which is pictured above. Equally as beautiful as the eggnog pannacotta.
Following the amuse bouche, there is the selection of savoury snacks. Cherish really put a lot of thought into this and I was absolutely delighted to see what she came up with. I was feeling rather festive a few weeks ahead of time at this point.
Left to right: Forman’s smoked salmon éclair with a cream cheese topping, smoked turkey sandwich with marjoram stuffing and watercress in cranberry bread, cucumber and cream cheese sandwich with a sprinkling of chives, farmhouse stilton and red onion and port relish sandwich in walnut bread, followed by a truffled duck egg bridge roll on top.
If I had to pick two of my favourites, it would be the smoked turkey sandwich and the truffled duck egg roll, both stood out to me as the best but all were just as yummy.
If you’re an avid afternoon tea fan like myself, you certainly know what is coming up next and it just gets better and better the higher you go up the tiers.
Fresh out of the oven and still warm, so deliciously soft and buttery scones. One set plain and the other cranberry and cinnamon. Perfect with a great big spoon of clotted cream and a light spread of strawberry confiture.
Many debate about which way the toppings should go on… The clotted cream first or the jam? I’m a solid clotted cream first and a helping of jam on top after sort of person. Some say that is ‘weird’ but it is the way I have always done it. I also have a justification for it too… the jam sits nicely on top of the thick clotted cream where as the cream wouldn’t sit on top of sticky jam. Scone logic!
Are you ready for the main, most exciting part? Cherish has been very creative with the design of these and is an absolute perfectionist. If she isn’t happy with how it looks, it won’t be served and I think the pictures say it all!
Beautiful, right? Served was a mini reindeer chocolate log cake with crunch caramelised hazelnut, raspberry and pistachio dome with sablé biscuit, nutcracker Victoria sponge with cranberry and white balsamic patê de fruit, cinnamon Christmas tree shortbread, mango and passionfruit white chocolate Chantilly and a hibiscus and black short drink.
I was completely and utterly in awe of Cherish and her talented skills turning the Langham’s afternoon tea into a festive one. Bravo Cherish!
Thank you to The Langham Hotel and Cherish for having is in for an early preview. If you try it, I would love to hear what you think!
Until next time…
