Enchanting Peter Pan Afternoon Tea at Aqua Shard

Would you like to have an adventure now or would you like to have your tea first?

Peter Pan by JM Barrie

Well…you can now enjoy both! Aqua Shard has sprinkled their fairy dust and bought the magical tale of the boy who never grew up to foodie life. The new Peter Pan themed afternoon tea is in partnership with Great Ormond Street Hospital and a wonderful trip down memory lane.

Peter Pan themed Afternoon Tea

Disclosure:  Our afternoon tea experience at the guest at Aqua Shard was complimentary, however, all views, opinions and photos are my own.

The copyright of Peter Pan was donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital by the author JM Barrie, so for every tea sold £2 will be donated to the charity.

From the track record of previous afternoon tea experiences such as the spectacular Mary Poppins Afternoon Tea meant we were super excited to review their interpretation of Neverland.

Best Views In London

No matter how many times we’ve zoomed up to the 31st floor of the Shard, the incredible views never cease to amaze us. We were seated facing the floor-to-ceiling windows looking out to a beautiful panoramic view of London.

Treated to a glass of chilled Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne we admired David Wyatt’s beautiful illustrations of Peter Pan on the crockery. Attention to detail on point.

The kids in the meantime with eyes and mouths clamped on paper straws, sipped on the Never Grow Up punch. A delicious concoction of pineapple, pear puree, elderflower tonic, lime and grenadine.

The feast also comes with a choice of two bespoke black teas – Darling and Adventure by premium tea company, Camellia’s Tea House. We ordered one of each (never been one for missing out). Adventure is a nod to the character of Peter Pan, an exotic blend of black tea, sunflower blossoms, mango, ginger, lemon and orange peel. Darling, a tribute to Wendy’s sweet nature, blends black teas from around the world with elegant rose petals for a faintly sweet and floral finish.

Our Neverland arrived in true theatrical style in the form of The Jolly Roger, Captain Hook’s pirate ship. The tiered ship with its golden sails and magical dry ice created the illusion of it floating beside the table, enchanting us all.

Onboard the array of savoury vegetarian and sweet goodies looked utterly mouthwatering. Delicate finger sandwiches came filled with hummus and red pepper; roasted tomato, aubergine and red pesto and a classic cucumber and egg mayonnaise.

The imaginative savoury selection included an Enormous Mushroom Chimney made from brioche bread with duxelles, a mushroom condiment. A reference to the mushrooms the Lost Boys used to hide the chimneys of their underground home.

The ‘Codfish’ Captain Hook for the pescatarians, was a deep-fried cod brandade coated in vivid red breadcrumbs. The vegetarian version resembled a potato and vegetable croquette and was ever so moreish.

Freshly baked scones arrived in a treasure chest accompanied by homemade mammee-apple and raspberry jam and coconut clotted cream. Baked mammee-apple custard is one of Peter Pan’s favourite foods.

Followed by a charming and creative selection of sweet treats. We started with Peter’s Secret Never Tree Entrance, relating to the tree trunk which hides the entrance to the Lost Boys home. This one though made from chocolate sponge in the shape of a log with dark chocolate mousse, raspberry jam and ganache.

Hook’s Perish Cake, a vibrant lime green Victoria cake, coated in desiccated coconut, and topped with fondant icing is similar to a Lamington. Just like the large rich cake of jolly thickness with green sugar left on the shores of mermaid lagoon by Hook, hoping children would gobble it up before perishing. My girls compiled with the gobbling up. Thankfully perishing wasn’t on the agenda, just pure enjoyment.

Mini shot glasses contained Tick-Tock the Crocodile, a homage to Captain Hook’s arch-enemy. These were filled with raspberry and rooibos tea jelly and a friendly crocodile gummy. Perched on top of the glass was a sweet pastry biscuit with white icing in the shape of Tinker Bell, finished off with a spray of gold fairy dust. A favourite of mine…well a fairy is similar to a pixie, right?

The nostalgic Peter Pan afternoon tea is a wonderful experience. Re-living the story as a family whilst we indulged in the decadent feast is another lovely moment for the memory box. Thank you Aqua Shard.

The Peter Pan Afternoon Tea is currently served from Thursday to Sunday from 12:15pm – 4:15pm, priced at £52 per person. Or for a more decadent experience, you can choose to upgrade to one of the champagne options: £68 per person with a glass of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label Champagne or £79 per person with a glass of Veuve Clicquot Rose Champagne.
£2 from each afternoon tea sold will be donated to the charity, to help seriously ill children from across the UK who are treated at Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Aqua Shard | Level 31 | The Shard | 31 St Thomas St | London | SE1 9RY | Website

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