Edible fashion may not make it to the catwalk in the next millennia, but it is very much the thing of the day at afternoon tea at the Berkeley Hotel in London. As London Fashion Week came and went and fashion editors, celebrities and designers galore flocked to their seats to watch models parade up and down the catwalk, we at Spoon prefer a rather sweeter approach to the affair, using the excuse either to indulge all our senses with fashion or to drown our sorrows at not making the cut for Victoria’s Secret in tea and cake.
Photo by Imogen Marshall
London may be known for its high teas but this tea is a cut above the rest, combining exquisite flavours with the fashions of the season. As fashions change, every season this hotel’s menu changes, giving us the excuse (as if we needed one) to keep coming back for more. With creations such as a blood orange cake enrobed in dyed white chocolate to form a Moschino handbag, this is an unforgettable experience for tourists and Londoners alike.
Photo by Isabelle Mooney
This season, the pastry chefs did not disappoint: with Valentino sponges formed into shoulder bags, a Fendi double breasted red coat formed into the most delicate of chocolate biscuits. We fear there may be some fisticuffs over the Simone Rocha salted caramel éclair and the Alice Temperley gianduja chocolate supreme. Did we mention the tea menu goes on for 3 pages?
It comes as little surprise then that this treat is wildly popular with every fashionable lady (and gentleman) and so it’s advisable to book some months in advance- it’s pretty hard to shift anyone off their chairs once they’re indescribably full of cake and still nursing a cup of signature served in bespoke Paul Smith china!
That latest coat? Think I’ll save it and splurge on some cake instead…