The Langham to launch new seasonal afternoon tea

The Langham will launch a new afternoon tea offering on the first day of summer, prioritising flavour and seasonality over artistry.

The new SeasonaliTea will be served in the five-AA-star Marylebone hotel's Palm Court and include savouries, scones and patisserie created with seasonal ingredients.

Executive pastry chef, Andrew Gravett, said: "I think there has been a real emphasis on the artistry of afternoon tea in recent years, often at the expense of flavour. We wanted to redress that balance, and, by using brilliant seasonal ingredients, our SeasonaliTea will be as pleasing to the palate as it is to the eye, we believe."

Gravett has said the presentation of the new dishes will be elegant and contemporary but not over-elaborate. Offerings will also be lighter as the chef works to reduce the use of refined sugars and fats, without compromising flavour.

When the revamped afternoon tea offering is launched on Thursday dishes will include sandwich fillings such as Cackleberry farm egg, marinated artichoke and summer truffle and sweet treats including ‘chouxtime', using the La Burlat variety of cherries and ‘rolled into one', using Oakchurch farm strawberries and Madagascan vanilla.

The Langham was the first hotel to serve afternoon tea in 1865. Afternoon tea is £55 per person, while high tea is £62 per person.

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