I can’t think of a more enjoyable way to spend an afternoon than viewing an exhibition of great Surrealist works and nibbling on an immaculate afternoon tea.
Ever been desperate to stare at a Salvador Dali in your salon or admire a magical Magritte? On Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th February Sotheby’s are holding an auction to send off a collection of crazy cool works into new homes and to mark the occasion they have been offering a wonderfully weird and wacky Surrealist Afternoon Tea in their civilised cafe. I was incredibly impressed with this special edition tea: a quaint and quirky mismatched assortment of food to tickle your imagination and tastebuds before enjoying the works on display.
Along with a pot of English breakfast tea guests are presented with a black slate platter of entertaining treats:
Savoury scone with tomato chilli jam and whipped goats cheese
Beetroot paint with pistachio and cheddar biscuit
Pickled cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches
Earl grey cup cake with vanilla mascarpone icing and sugar Dali clock
“I’m not a biscuit” biscuit
Clementine macaroon
Marshmallow clouds
Pink lemonade
Aside from everything tasting delicious, it all looks truly beautiful, little works of art in fact. Pickled cucumber sandwiches with dill and cream cheese are a lovely version of the English classic, the macaroons and cup cakes tasted fresh out of the oven and the biscuits and marshmallow clouds were clever sweet additions. Each element is artfully constructed and decorated with incredible precision. Mixing up the typical traditional tea and adding a touch of the absurd makes this a genius Alice in Wonderland-esque event.
Today is the last chance to taste the Surrealist tea but I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed that Sotheby’s design a tea themed around every major auction in the future.
More information here.