Regency afternoon tea aims to lure back theatre goers скачать в хорошем качестве

Regency afternoon tea aims to lure back theatre goers

(18 Oct 2021) LEAD IN: An elaborate afternoon tea is the West End's latest ploy to draw patrons back to London's theatres, following the devastating impacts of the pandemic. Drawing on the decadence of the British Regency period, the recently restored Theatre Royal Drury Lane is serving tarts, cakes and more in its Grand Saloon. But will it be enough to tempt crowds back to central London after months away? STORY-LINE: The most fitting place to enjoy a rich chocolate cake decorated in quirky green and pink-coloured icing must surely be a sumptuous Regency setting. And now, one London theatre is making that happen. With a modern twist on the outlandish desserts of the early 1800s - such as mini sticky toffee puddings filled with custard - this new Regency-themed afternoon tea is looking backwards and forwards. It's the brainchild of baker Lily Jones of Lily Vanilli Bakery. Jones, a self-taught baker, says she "wanted to create an afternoon tea that was really modern and really fun. Decadent, but full of things which are really delicious and things that people actually want to eat in 2021." Throwing out the rulebook of traditional afternoon teas, Jones has opted to get rid of the typical sandwiches and replace them with puff pastry sausage rolls made with Cornish sausage meat, roast bacon lardons, and a cider vinegar deglaze. Jones says tantalising the palate is central to her afternoon tea: "I always think things look good when you know they're going to taste good. So, a slice of cake, you can see what's inside. We've got loads of amazing flavours, we've got custard, jelly, ice cream, sausage rolls. It's like a glorified kids' tea party," she says. The aesthetics and variety are just as important, Jones says, with the rich Regency history of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and its recent 60 million British pound refurbishment providing ample inspiration. But, she explains, she's keen to bring the concept up to date: "(I) drew a lot of inspiration from the interiors, but most importantly, for the food, I was really looking at what people like to eat now, so visually, it's really Regency, but what's on the stand is designed for 2021," she says. One of the highlights of the afternoon tea is a handmade Regency-style ice cream trolley serving a new spin on the traditional exotic ices of the times - a heady absinthe mint chocolate chip ice cream set on shell-shaped bowls. Jones' tea experience was chosen to help launch the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane. With its glittering chandeliers and soft pink and green marbled room, the theatre's Grand Saloon has had a multi-million-pound refurbishment aimed at bringing new life into the capital's theatre district. London's West End has been particularly hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with over 95 percent of British theatre organisations reporting being worse off because of COVID-19, according to a survey by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). By 16 March 2021, 165 theatre organisations in the UK had lost almost 200 million British pounds, according to the SOLT report. For the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, the pandemic threatened to derail the renovation project. The results aim to recreate the charm of the theatre's heyday - from a vibrant bar named after Oscar-winning designer and costumier Cecil Beaton, to a stylish nook adorned with theatre-related artwork. At the helm of the ambitious project was Madeleine Lloyd Webber, wife of British composer and theatre impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber. She wants to persuade visitors to come back to the theatre district. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...