The Pelham, an elegant boutique hotel in the heart of South Kensington, has now launched its playfully vibrant fashion-inspired menu in line with the opening of The Victoria & Albert Museum’s latest exhibition: Mary Quant. The 60’s Mod experience, designed in partnership with luxury event planners La Fête draws on the history of the British icon who has been immortalised by fashion iconography as the originator of the miniskirt to present a colourful selection of decadent savouries and luxurious treats, all carefully prepared by the hotel’s Michelin-starred Chef Alfredo Russo and his team.
Afternoon tea
From mini-dresses to vibrant prints and makeup, the afternoon tea experience acts as a guide to the British High Street and the life of Dame Mary Quant – a great introduction before being whisked away to visit the highly anticipated V&A exhibition. Menu items include ‘Swinging London’: dainty finger sandwiches of chives, butter & salmon or cooked ham and light mustard on spinach bread, ‘Quant’s Crayons’: vibrant multi-coloured mini buns filled with cherry tomato and mild cheddar; and cucumber and aromatic cheese.
Punchy sweets will include ‘Bazaar’: an open macaroon topped with whipped cream, a variety of raspberries and dulcey raspberry coulis that has been creatively encased in a Quant-inspired nail varnish bottle, ‘The Dame’: a quintessentially British Victoria Sponge Cake, complete with icing sugar and an almond marzipan flower, and several other creative masterpieces including a ‘edible lipstick’ of dark chocolate.
Afternoon tea
Guests can hydrate on ‘Forever Mini’ cocktails, named in celebration of Quant pioneering the mini skirt and innovating modernity. Combining rum, gin, blue Curacao, vodka, tequila, lemonade and orange garnish, the ‘Forever Mini’ is both fiery and sweet, a fitting taste to coincide with Quant’s energetic personality. What’s more, a mocktail ‘Plastic Fantastic’ is also available which helps to cleanse the palette.
Mocktail
Following the success of the Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams Experience at The Franklin, the elegant boutique hotel designed by Anouska Hempel in the heart of Knightsbridge, one of the three London properties of Starhotels Collezione, The Pelham has partnered once again with La Fête to create this experience.
The decadent culinary experience, held in both the picturesque Library and Drawing Room, is an ideal five-minute walk from the Victoria & Albert museum and the fifth in a series of foodie-pairings inspired by the V&A museum. As with the previous immersive dining experiences, guests with receive complimentary access to the exhibition following the afternoon tea experience.
- The Pelham & La Fête’s Mary Quant Afternoon Tea is sold at £55 per person including a ticket to the Mary Quant exhibition at the V&A (Including VAT and 12.5% service charge)
- The Pelham & La Fête’s Mary Quant Afternoon Tea is sold at £40 per person, excluding a ticket to the Mary Quant exhibition at the V&A (Including VAT and 12.5% service charge)
- ‘Forever Mini’ cocktail is sold at £13 and the ‘Plastic Fantastic’ is sold at £10
- Reservations for the Culinary Fashion Experience at The Pelham London will be between 3.00pm and 5.30pm [weekdays and weekends] bookable online
- The Pelham & La Fête’s Mary Quant Afternoon Tea will launch 15 April 2019 and will run for the duration of the V&A exhibition (16 February 2020)
About The Pelham London – Starhotels Collezione
Located in the heart of South Kensington and a few steps from Kensington Gardens, The Pelham London – Starhotels Collezione combines country home intimacy with London townhouse living. Here, bright sunny interiors blend the contemporary with the classic, creating bright pops of colour throughout the hotel. The result is a unique, original style that has transformed The Pelham into one of the most outstanding 5-star boutique hotels on the London scene.
The hotel is also renowned for its gourmet restaurant, La Trattoria by Alfredo Russo, a fine dining destination for local and international connoisseurs. The Michelin-starred Chef invites guests to dine with a well calibrated mix of simplicity and sophistication on offerings created with the finest seasonal ingredients.
About La Fête
La Fête, created in 2016 – is boutique at heart, with a multicultural approach: they create your unique experience, delivering unforgettable memories. From their London base, La Fête offer a wide range of internationally bespoke services including wedding, event and proposal planning. Before entering the world of wedding and event planning, Charlotte Ricard-Quesada worked in luxury fashion for 8 years, for Dior and Tom Ford, amongst other brands. During this time, she would attend industry parties and shows. After witnessing their organisation first-hand and the oftentimes difficult process of working with planners abroad, who didn’t necessarily understand the language or culture of their clients, she knew that something had to be done about it. In 2016 she founded La Fête, a wedding & event company with a difference.
Photo credits: David Cowan
Words by: Karine Laudort
