Cake and fine wine<br />

London weather had been trying to fool me for more than a week, but on the day of the Ruinart and Miller Harris Perfumer's Tea the typical London summer had arrived. Under skies of grey and through drizzle I made my way to the Soho Hotel. It was weather for indulgence.

I had never thought of pink and green being particularly good friends but then again I never took an art class past primary school. In the Drawing Room of the Soho Hotel the pairing of the colours brings the room to life. Cushions match chairs match carpets match flowers match cakes. Even non-artistic types can appreciate the touch of owner and interior decorator Kit Kemp.

Ruinart and Miller Harris are celebrating their partnership with an ‘eclectic afternoon tea.’ Ruinart, the oldest Champagne house in the world, began making their bubbly in 1729, as early as could have been possible, as wines only started being bottled that same year. Miller Harris is the brainchild of Lyn Harris, the London perfumer, who has also delved into the world of teas, creating unique and delicate blends.  

The afternoon begins with a glass of the Ruinart’s Blanc de Blancs, the golden champagne made from only the Chardonnay grape. Flavours of lemon, peach, pineapple and grapefruit fill each sip. Apparently blackcurrant makes an appearance but my fellow champagne-sipper and I struggle to locate it. The champagne is buttery and the delicate bubbles melt on the tongue.

Next is a tier of gastronomic treats; from tarts to sandwiches to cakes. They look so beautiful that no-one has dared to disturb them for the first hour. Or perhaps it’s because they haven’t managed to stop sipping the exquisite champagne. The Firmdale Hotel chefs have incorporated the scents and flavours found in the champagne and tea into their treats. Vanilla creeps into the shortbread, lemon ices the cupcakes and peach perfumes the friands.

The sensory experience is completed by sipping on tea. Lyn Harris, whose nose is skilled enough to work with up to 500 scents in her perfume laboratory, provides four different varieties for us to try. 

Harris is not an Earl Grey enthusiast like myself, and has made her Thé Bergamot smoother and more subtle with the use of tangerine green. Thé Bigarade is Harris’ take on the English Breakfast. Assam tea is blended with flavours of orange and hints of vanilla. Thé Violette, to no surprise, has notes of violet together with blackcurrant bud and green mulberry leaf. It has a Darjeeling base. There is no doubt my favourite is the Thé Petales, a blend of Vanilla Ceylon tea with rose and geranium. It is springtime in a cup. Delicate, feminine and aromatic. 

The afternoon has indeed been indulgent. Frederic Panaiotis, Ruinart’s Chef de Cave describes a glass of his Blanc de Blanc champagne as ‘the perfect announcement of the arrival of summer’. As I peer outside, into the grey, I hope this is not what the next three months will bring, unless of course I spend it in such surroundings sipping on tea and champagne. Then I could handle the typical London summer.

Note: Ruinart and Miller Harris Perfumer's Tea costs £35; available at The Soho Hotel, Haymarket Hotel, Charlotte Street Hotel and Covent Garden Hotel.