Afternoon Tea: An Oasis in the British Culinary Desert

Method: Food authors visited these places: Shanghai Lujiazui Century Avenue published on 2019-11-25 16:57 [low tea] Afternoon tea reminds me […]

Method: Food authors visited these places: Shanghai Lujiazui Century Avenue published on 2019-11-25 16:57 [low tea]

Afternoon tea reminds me of the British tradition. When thinking about snacks, scones are the only ones that come to mind. As the sun sets, I enjoy listening to street rock by the Thames River and observing their rare moments of relaxation. While Italians might already be inviting the swaying waists of beauties, British men are still there, smiling and nodding. They are the type to tell jokes with a straight face. Their conversations can be both flexible and rigid, but the level of restraint is evident in the serious crease line of their trousers. Thus, it’s imaginable that Prince Charles’s relationship with Camilla also requires a perfect fit. Shakespeare could keep love letters close to his heart, but Romeo and Juliet were not allowed to kiss passionately in public. However, when it comes to business, the British are much more bold. A free commercial country where even the queen can endorse her own brands. The British do not make fine wines, yet they establish the global wine tasting and sommelier education system. But when it comes to food, I have no intention of ‘gazing at the stars’. The peculiar British dish: Stargazy pie, also known as hell’s chant, mainly consists of sardines and a shortcrust pastry base. I also thought that Britain was a culinary desert, with either fries or fish and chips when going out. In fact, the British afternoon tea is the bond of food culture! Because the elegant hostesses who have created the delicious genes of British families for centuries are ultimate fans of this lifestyle. Change, vitality, and passion… are all subtly contained within. I think I’ll go for an afternoon tea to alleviate the tense mood of lacking oil and salt.

I had the pleasure of tasting Bettys’ afternoon tea previously. Bettys Café tea room is located in York, founded by a Swiss baker in 1919, and has a history of a century. I have previously explained why it’s called low tea, not high tea. Refined, but not sharp. Even women of steel become gentle in the lazy British afternoon. Ladies gather at Bettys to share their concerns and enjoy a time of camaraderie. Bettys’ afternoon tea offers three sets to choose from: Traditional Afternoon Tea, Bettys Pink Champagne Afternoon Tea, and Yorkshire Cream Tea. The set includes a pot of black tea served in silver tea sets and a pot of hot water, along with lemon or milk (optional) and sugar cubes. The three-tiered snacks are served on bone china plates. From top to bottom, the first layer usually consists of macarons, fruit tarts, and small cakes, but due to seasonal and customer flow differences, different combinations are available at different times; the second layer is traditional scones with jam and clotted cream; the third layer is a variety of flavored sandwiches (usually including cucumber sandwiches and smoked salmon sandwiches). Consumption starts from the bottom layer, which is savory, and moves upwards to the sweet. As for the Yorkshire Cream Tea, it is more favored by locals, with tea served with scones and no other small desserts.

When it comes to living well, Asian women, particularly the Japanese, excel. Before their children and husbands return home in the afternoon, every minute is their own. Adorned with jewelry and accompanied by their closest friends, they gather around a warm coffee cup. Recently, I was at The Peninsula Tokyo and found that their Christmas-themed English afternoon tea set had been released. The most striking item was the freshly baked scones, not the uneven texture from traditional butter-infused shortcrust pastry, but a delicate crumbliness that shines on the tongue. The most delightful surprise on The Peninsula’s Christmas afternoon tea menu is the Peninsula champagne, with its highly recognizable honey and toast flavors perfectly complementing the warm scones. The year 1896 marks the establishment of The Peninsula’s organic tea menu, and the waiter recommended I try it. The experience was like a garden transitioning from early summer to autumn within the mouth, reminiscent of the fragrant organic tea I tasted four years ago at the Daylesford Art Gallery in Melbourne. Amidst the splendid flowers, one can touch on the unique personalities of various Christmas snacks, from goose liver and tomato tartness to the aroma of cinnamon. There is a reason for the high price. However, the first priority of a great afternoon tea is good friends. With Christmas approaching, I, as a severe bear enthusiast in Shanghai, have prepared a unique celebration for the Christmas month. I look forward to spending an afternoon tea with a brown and cute friend by my side. As winter comes, this desire grows stronger. Who knew it would come true so soon… Paddington Bear, born in 1958, is a classic fairy tale character known to every household in the UK.On November 21st, the Paddington Bear Shanghai Special Exhibition ‘Love Together – Hug Gathering’ opened in the LG2 atrium of Century Link Plaza. The adorable Paddington Bear warmly embraces guests and audiences. Everyone who is hugged by the bear shows a relaxed and joyful smile, all touched by the warm and loving atmosphere of the scene. The polite and healing Paddington Bear always hits people’s cute spots.

You can find Paddington Station, a giant Paddington statue, a lost and found, Melon Café, Lychee telephone booth, Windsor Garden, a London pop-up book, a Lego pool, Mr. Gruber’s antique shop, PETALS PROJECT flower shop and market at the Paddington Bear Shanghai Special Exhibition at Century Link Plaza.

Don’t forget to pick up a special exhibition overview guide newspaper when you enter. Visit 7 major checkpoints, complete three of the tasks, and you can receive a limited edition Paddington Bear gift.

The Paddington Bear Exhibition at Century Link Plaza x Shenpo’s love for food series preview? Sharing European lifestyle with Shenpo. Who will be there to taste the coffee culture of afternoon tea with you. The bright fragrance of berries, the rich and mellow aroma of whiskey, all can be satisfied in the coffee at the same time. You are welcome to come for a blind tasting, and even more welcome to listen to the local afternoon tea stories that Shenpo has brought from Europe. Time: November 30th, 15:00-16:00. Location: Grass area of Paddington Bear Exhibition at LG2, Century Link Plaza. Theme: English afternoon tea is a typical representative of the European lifestyle. The tradition of drinking tea and eating snacks at three or four in the afternoon is a major cultural manifestation of Europe, and there are corresponding afternoon tea etiquette.

Join us for a delightful afternoon tea session that includes insights into British tea culture, European lifestyle and leisure culture, sampling of British biscuits and pastries, and coffee tasting. Our partner brand, pladis Group, is a global confectionery company operating in 120 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. It encompasses iconic brands such as Godiva, McVitie’s, and Ülker, with over three centuries of expertise in baking and confectionery. McVitie’s Digestive Biscuits, originating from the UK and developed by Sir Alexander Grant in 1892, have a rich history of 125 years and are adored by consumers worldwide, selling in over 100 countries and being the designated teatime treat for British royalty. They have been honored three times with the Royal Warrant for the production of royal wedding cakes.

Our British travel and European travel sharing sessions will also feature a complimentary picnic tasting event on December 8th from 15:00 to 16:00 at the Paddington Bear Exhibition lawn area on LG2 of Shanghai Century Link Plaza. The theme highlights the UK as an island nation with a rich historical heritage and cultural landscapes, making it an attractive destination. In London, one can visit iconic sites such as Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, and Buckingham Palace. In Cambridge, take a boat ride along the River Cam, and in the northern Lake District, enjoy the enchanting natural scenery. Discover the mystery of Stonehenge. Our seasoned gastronomy and travel experts will share their stories and experiences of British and European travels, showcasing the beauty of British culture. Our partner brand, LittleDayz Boutique, was founded in 2015 by two women who love nature and picnicking. From an elegantly themed event to a picnic basket filled with pastoral aromas, LittleDayz aims to be a unique and tasteful lifestyle brand in urban life.

Queen’s Artisan Christmas Market will take place on December 24th-25th from 10:00 to 22:00 at the Paddington Bear Exhibition market area on LG2 of Shanghai Century Link Plaza. The theme involves over ten brands participating in the Christmas market, showcasing British national digestive biscuits, pastoral picnic ware, royal kitchen supplies, royal umbrellas, royal hair combs, royal socks, and fragrances. Our partner brand, United Biscuits (UK) Limited, a subsidiary of pladis Group, is the trademark owner of brands such as McVitie’s and go ahead. United Biscuits Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd, the Chinese subsidiary of United Biscuits, is responsible for all business in China. The go ahead brand of fruit-filled biscuits originated in the UK in 1996 as a completely healthy traditional biscuit method and is now one of the leading healthy biscuit brands in the UK. In the United Kingdom, one fifth of households purchase Go Ahead products, with 200 million items sold annually, which means 400 Go Ahead products are sold every minute. The crispyThese may be necessities of life, but beyond the necessities, Little Dayz wants to add countless little days that shine to the unchanging life, creating unique life experiences for everyone with design and art.

Little Dayz consists of three product lines:
– Travel Luna, which is mainly designed for travel.
– Woody Mood, which conveys natural wildness.
– Dayz, which shares daily refined goods.

Joint Brand: Ulster Weavers. Nurtured for 300 years, a designated brand for the British royal kitchen. As the most present and respected royal family in the world, the title of ‘British Royal Warrant’ is akin to a global quality and taste guarantee if branded on a product, and Ulster Weavers has this honor. ULSTER WEAVERS’ kitchen utensils include teapots, teacups, plates, trays, etc. The materials are chosen from bone china with more than 45% bone powder content or melamine resin. Bone china is dense, light, warm and moist, and has a very textured appearance. The patterns use first-class glaze and advanced glazing techniques, and high-temperature glaze colors do not fade, becoming more and more new over time. In textiles, ULSTER WEAVERS is even more crazy about printing, with rural style, industrial style, minimalist style, cartoon animal style, and retro style taking turns, even old invoices can be moved to tea towels to become unique prints.

Joint Brand: Fulton. The royal umbrella, the first choice for tasteful noble travel. With the talent of inventors and sensitivity to the needs of different times, the Fulton family has created this 62-year-old European brand. The FULTON brand was born in the UK in 1955. Inventor and mechanical engineer Arnold Fulton founded the Fulton Company in the fashion capital of London. Over the years of umbrella making, the Fulton family has been tirelessly pursuing innovation, creating the most authentic and representative umbrella brand of British gentlemen and royal noble style aesthetics, occupying 35% of the UK umbrella market share, becoming the largest umbrella supplier in the UK. FULTON is also the only designated business royal umbrella brand for the British queen, and has made the famous birdcage umbrellas for Queen Elizabeth II and her mother, which have been passed down to this day. FULTON umbrellas fully meet people’s outdoor travel needs and are a symbol of fashion and taste life.

Joint Brand: Kent. Kent Brushes was founded by William Kent in 1777 under King George III. The history of KENT BRUSHES is the history of British combs, spanning four centuries. Kent has won the royal picky taste with exquisite craftsmanship. In 1780, King George III awarded Kent the ‘Royal Warrant’ and has provided the royal family with nine generations of royal hair combs, writing an unparalleled glorious royal certification record. It is the only brand in the UK that has continuously won nine ‘Royal Warrants’ and for 239 years, despite the ups and downs of the industrial revolution and war, the quality of KENT remains. Kent’s most significant feature is the use of natural wild boar bristles for its comb teeth. Boar bristles have long been considered the finest material for comb teeth, with their hair comb products originally used by the British royal family and nobility. The Indian wild boar bristles selected by KENT are globally recognized for their fineness and straightness, offering numerous advantages such as durability, skin stimulation, hair loss prevention, scalp massage, reduced hair wear, and promotion of hair regrowth. These bristles can penetrate deep into the scalp, transferring oils from the roots to the tips, thereby cleaning and nourishing the hair.

In collaboration with the brand: Corgi Royal Socks, a family business that has inherited creativity and classics for generations. Corgi’s story began in 1892, and over the past 125 years, the London hosiery industry has undergone a refreshing transformation from overall to detail. Corgi is a family business that combines traditional production methods with design trends, focusing on producing high-quality, high-specification cashmere socks, cotton socks, and knitted products. Their products are fashionable yet elegant, renowned worldwide for comfort and health, with a brand image of ‘quality first’ that has become increasingly popular over a century, becoming a favorite among fashion-conscious consumers. Corgi’s socks are extremely comfortable and luxurious, with each pair carrying the craftsmanship and techniques passed down from generation to generation on ancient manual knitting machines. Perhaps due to the cold climate in Wales, color has injected a warm gene into Corgi. Corgi introduces various warm-colored socks every season, with very attractive patterns and designs, especially the brightly colored long socks with separate color blocks for the heel, toe, and sole areas, which are widely popular in the UK.

In collaboration with the brand:The design style is not confined to the status quo but endows each product with more emotional expression and comfortable feelings, making it a favorite in the UK’s fashionable home brand circle. ‘[DAYS ARE GOOD, WHEN THEY SMELL GOOD]’ is the brand philosophy that gives back the good feelings of life into life itself.

After enjoying afternoon tea, the grandmother arranged an exquisite gym for everyone!

The Century Link Plaza in Shanghai, designed by the American SOM architectural design company, is located in the golden corridor of Pudong Lujiazui, covering an area of over 350,000 square meters, consisting of two 168-meter, 38-story super-grade office buildings and a 140,000-square-meter underground 2-story, above-ground 5-story shopping center. It is directly accessible by four subway lines in Shanghai, with a daily passenger flow of over 110,000 people and continuously rising. Since its grand opening in December 2018, it has successively won many industry awards, such as the 2019 Golden Ding Award · Commercial Real Estate Benchmark Influence Award, the 7th China Shopping Center Development Forum · Best Newcomer Award in 2019, and the 2019 Golden Lamp Award · Theme Block Scene Award, making it the ‘Popular King’ of Shanghai shopping centers. Recently, the ‘Night Market Fortune’ theme activity, tailored to the night consumption needs of urban people, has made Century Link Plaza the main ‘engine’ driving further commercial atmosphere upgrades in the Century Avenue business circle. Century Link Plaza occupies the ‘Golden Corridor’ Century Avenue C position, close to the Lujiazui Financial District. Century Link Plaza welcomes its first anniversary in this winter, arranging a series of warm and sincere activities. In addition to the inaugural Paddington Bear Shanghai Special Exhibition, a carefully prepared anniversary warm-hearted lighting party that embodies the power of love, cool and dynamic interactive installations, highly praised humorous troupe parades, and extremely tempting exclusive crazy promotions have been arranged. Five surprises create a warm winter carnival season, and everyone who has always supported Century Square is invited to ‘Love Together’.

‘Love Together’ – British Classic Healing Fairy Tale Paddington Bear Shanghai Special Exhibition
Exhibition Date: November 20, 2019 – January 1, 2020
Paddington Bear Shanghai Special Exhibition
November 20 – December 1, Yisuo – Thanksgiving Post Office
December 13 – January 1, British Boutique Shopping Festival
December 24 – 25, Shenpo Loves to Eat – Queen’s Art Christmas Market
Exhibition Venue: Shanghai Century Square LG2 Atrium (No. 1192 Century Avenue, Pudong New Area, Shanghai, directly accessible by Metro Lines 2/4/6/9 Century Avenue Station)

Grandma has flown to Copenhagen again, where the Christmas market is also open in the biting cold wind. I am addicted to the taste of coffee with cinnamon and want to bring it to share with Paddington Bear. I hope you will be there too, please send a private message to register, there are surprises waiting for you!

Shenpo asks what kind of snacks do you like in afternoon tea?

Happy, happy Christmas, that can bring us back to the illusions of our childhood days, recall to the old man the pleasures of his youth, and transport the traveler back to his own fireside and quiet home! ——Charles Dickens

Food Bless You!
Consultant of China International Food Expo
Producer of ‘The Table Like a God’