The famous fashionable afternoon tea Prêt-à-Portea by The Berkeley returns with new catwalk-inspired cakes
A firm favourite with fashionistas with a sweet tooth, Prêt-à-Portea gives a contemporary twist to afternoon tea with a collection of bold catwalk cakes. From 17th May 2021, as The Berkeley reopens its doors to all, Prêt-à-Portea will return with a joyful and vibrant Spring / Summer 21 season showcasing couture cakes inspired by designers from Tod’s to Versace.
This season’s collection opens with Donatella Versace’s ocean-inspired cocktail dress, reimagined as a coconut dacquoise and mango confit encased with exotic fruit mousse, topped with a shimmering sugar starfish for a final flourish. Moschino’s show was a memorable spectacle with 40 looks scaled down to fit string puppets, with an Anna Wintour puppet sitting on the front row. The Berkeley pastry team pays homage with a vanilla biscuit intricately iced, complete with iconic signature sunglasses and sharp bob.
Tod’s neon tote bag is a citrus Victoria sponge, glazed with acid-lime icing, sandwiched between florescent green Valrhona chocolate Ivoire. Valentino’s vivid green printed gown is depicted as a pistachio bavarois with Amerena cherry, set on a pistachio croquant and finished with a sugar lily.
Three designers appear in Prêt-à-Portea this season for the first time: Paris-based Isabel Marant with her high shine, the disco-inspired purple ensemble as an almond sponge a briolette jelly centre, glazed in glittering purple and topped with a matching chocolate bow. US label LoveShackFancy’s playful striped two-piece embellished with strawberry motifs appears as a Joconde sponge in a trio of colours, topped with a glossy strawberry made of (naturally) strawberry and rhubarb cheesecake.
Finally, the season’s most epic piece is Halpern’s feather couture mini gown. This showstopper appears like a cake designed to share – a light financier cake with raspberry compote complete with Amatika chocolate dome with praline crunch and topped with grue de cacao. Black wafer legs sit akimbo on top.
Commenting on his latest collection Executive Pastry Chef Mourad Khiat, ‘Every season we study every fashion show looking for the stand-out looks that we can then magic into cakes for our fashion-obsessed guests. The September Spring Summer shows – of course – looked a little different due to the global pandemic, but the designers still managed to inspire and dazzle in new and imaginative ways. We can’t wait to welcome guests back to The Berkeley and hope that the sheer fantasy of catwalk fashion will delight those returning for Prêt-à-Portea.’
Following in his pâtissier father’s footsteps, the art of afternoon tea is personal for Head Pastry Chef, Mourad Khiat. Drawing on culinary traditions and catwalk collections from around the world, each delicate creation is an expression of Mourad’s impeccable taste.
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