Last week, Soho was in bloom as Wedgwood hosted a fabulous tea party with scones, cakes, beautiful china and peonies in abundance.
An expert on teaware since 1759, the iconic British brand celebrated its heritage with a Taste of History Tea Pairing Menu. Food historian Tasha Marks of Animal Vegetable Mineral Curiosities created a tempting afternoon tea with adaptations of historical sweets from the same year as the tea they were paired with.
The luxurious loose leaf teas are presented in Wedgwood blue tea caddies – each with a print to reflect the era – and have a bold, fragrant aroma. When served in a teapot, they fill the room with delicious, heady notes of fruit, flowers and spices.
The extensive tea collection includes 1780 Encaustic (white tea with apricot pieces, yellow mullein and marigold petals and yellow rose buds), 1814 Chinese Tiger (black tea with ginger pieces) and 1870 Golden Rose (green tea with strawberry pieces and pink rose buds).
I enjoyed a pot of 2010 Pashmina, an Oolong tea with orange blossoms and pieces of dried orange, which was paired with rich, velvety Orange and Marmalade Truffles. I couldn’t resist also tasting the 1777 Tea Party, a black tea with pink and white cornflower petals paired with Cornflower Cracknels.
My tea was served in a fine bone china teacup and saucer from the stunning new Daisy Tea Story. The new design features elements of the iconic Wedgwood Daisy print from the brand’s extensive archives. It’s a sophisticated, timeless design in a rich palette of black, blue, pink and gold.
We also grazed on the most delicious, zesty Apricot and Honey Panforte, Victorian Scones with Strawberry and Rose Jam and White Gingerbread Dragon – a marchpane biscuit with a fragrant blend of almonds, rosewater, sugar and ginger.
Over a delectable afternoon tea, we had the chance to discover Wedgwood’s prettiest tea service collections including the whimsical Butterfly Bloom, Cuckoo, Harlequin and the Alice in Wonderland-inspired Queen of Hearts. They were beautifully styled with peonies peaking out of teapots and balanced on hardback books inside a golden birdcage.
With so many stunning tea stories, it’s hard not to fall in love with Wedgwood and begin a very long wish list.
To see all Wedgwood fine bone china collections, visit: www.wedgwood.co.uk
All photos by Chérie City
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