Welcome to our blog....here we will share all our afternoon tea adventures with you...the good, the bad and the wonderful!

Thursday 27 August 2015

Meet the Chef.....Dennis Easton, The Capital Hotel

Hello there,

Welcome back to Tea With Me and Friends - we hope you are well!

Do you remember a couple of weeks ago we featured the afternoon tea launch at The Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge. Their fab looking new tea is a very traditional affair, featuring Victoria Sponge, Bakewell Tart and scrummy scones!

Afternoon tea
The Capital Hotel, Knightsbridge

After trying some of the scrummy afternoon tea we were delighted when Sous Chef Dennis Easton agreed to answer our nosey afternoon tea questions! So, what are we waiting for....let's ask those all important questions (and find out if Chef is a cream or jam first kinda guy!)....

How long does it usually take you to create new afternoon teas?
Six to eight weeks.  It's nice to take time to play about with different concepts, ideas and to work out what individual cakes and savoury bites work well together.  A great taste is essential but it is equally important to create a beautiful presentation with a variety of flavours, textures, and colours.

Where does your inspiration for new teas come from?
All sorts really but in the case of The Capital’s new afternoon tea it was childhood – a real nostalgic throwback to being a kid and loving that genuine British tea experience.

Sous Chef Dennis Easton - The Capital Hotel


What is your favourite part of your latest afternoon tea?
The Neapolitan ice cream, it's such a classic.  Ice-cream was and is always such a special treat.

Do you enjoy a spot of afternoon tea yourself and have you tried tea anywhere else?
Yes, I like to go for afternoon tea. The Savoy is probably one of my favourites in London but there are always new things to try.

What is your favourite filling in an afternoon tea sandwich?
Beef & Horseradish or Egg & Cress – again, they are the epitome of a typical British tea.

Sous Chef Dennis Easton - The Capital Hotel

The all-important question - do you put cream or jam on your scone first?
Jam first – and in case you ask, it’s tea first, not milk!

If you could invite any guest to enjoy afternoon tea with you, who would it be and why?
Winston Churchill: he’s a national hero and I am sure he would approve of our Great British Afternoon Tea at The Capital

Oh my - jam first? Well, I suppose we can forgive Chef as his scones are rather good (not sure if we've already mentioned the scrummy scones!).

Afternoon tea scones - The Capital Hotel

We'd like to thank Chef for taking the time to answer our questions - we always love hearing about how afternoon teas are created....and asking that nosey cream/jam question! We also love hearing where Chefs have enjoyed afternoon tea themselves!

The new afternoon tea at The Capital Hotel is available from Wednesday 9th September - more information can be found on their website.

Thank you for popping by today,
Rachel & Lorna

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