First to appear were piping-hot glass teapots filled with robust Darjeeling tea by the French house Mariage Frères, which sat center table with sides of sugar and steamy full-cream milk. The tea captain then arrived with flat trays of mixed crustless sandwiches—an eclectic mix of free-range chicken and tarragon mayonnaise, smoked salmon and lemon butter, brown egg mayonnaise and mustard cress, and the layered flavors of celeriac rémoulade, horseradish, and crisp Bramley apple. Scones with crumb as soft as silk followed, accompanied by strawberry-elderflower jam and clotted cream. Next, came the artsy pastries. This was one time when I really felt it a shame to eat them, beautiful works of contemporary pastry art created to emulate the works of each of the “fab five” designers.
