AQUA SHARD CELEBRATES THE WORLD OF PETER PAN WITH MAGICAL AFTERNOON TEA

Drawing on popular motifs from J.M Barrie’s much loved novel, the afternoon tea will be a fitting tribute to the author and his fictional characters. 

Innovative treats will be served on a custom-made tea stand inspired by Captain James Hook’s Pirate Ship, the Jolly Roger, which symbolised pirate ships in the 18th Century. The ship-shaped tea stand will have plates attached to the masts to act like the sails and planks.

To start, guests will enjoy a savoury selection of finger sandwiches with a creative twist, including a chicken sandwich topped with crispy bacon wrapped in paper denoting the four ‘Lost Boy Rules’, and an ‘Enormous Mushroom Chimney’ - mushroom-shaped bread inspired by the mushroom stools ‘of charming colour’ in Neverland. The ‘Codfish’ Captain Hook cod brandade croquette is named after Peter Pan’s nickname for his nemesis, and will arrive complete with carefully crafted pastry hook.

Moving into the sweet section of the tea, quintessentially British warm scones will be hidden within a special treasure chest, accompanied by sweet apricot marmalade (or ‘mammee-apples’) as well as coconut clotted cream. 

The sweet confections will similarly draw on popular motifs from the book: 

●    Tinker Bell Cookie: A Tinker Bell shaped cookie, sprinkled with gold fairy dust, represents Peter’s feisty friend. The impish Tinker Bell risks her life to protect Peter… but is not above using her powers of persuasion and mischief to hurt any rival
●    Peter Pan’s Secret Never Tree Entrance: In the shape of a trunk, the chocolate cake is a reference to the Home Under The Ground where the Lost Boys live. Only accessible via one of Peter’s secret hollow tree entrances, Peter “measures you for your tree as carefully as for a suit of clothes”
●    Tick-Tock the Crocodile: There is a surprise in this sweet dessert of raspberry and rooibos jelly – a crocodile gummy lies in wait, but luckily guests get to eat him up instead of the other way round! This alludes to the mischievous crocodile that dwells in the waters of Neverland in pursuit of the villainous Captain Hook
●    Hook’s Perish Cake: This refers to Captain Hook’s dastardly plan… To leave a “large rich cake of a jolly thickness with green sugar in it” on the shore of the mermaid’s lagoon hoping unwitting children will “find the cake and gobble it up, because, having no mother, they don't know how dangerous 'tis to eat rich damp cake”

Click to see the full menu here.

The Aqua Shard bar team has created a special Fairy Dust cocktail to celebrate the launch of the Peter Pan afternoon tea: Mint and Cucumber Ketel One botanical, apple liqueur, ginger switchel, Kaffir lime, absinthe & gold dust.  For something lighter, the Never Grow Up punch is a non-alcoholic combination of pineapple, pear puree, elderflower tonic and grenadine. The Fairy Dust cocktail and Punch will be available at the Aqua Shard bar as well as with the afternoon tea. 

For those looking for a traditional tea accompaniment, guests can try two special teas created for Aqua Shard. The Darling Tea celebrates Wendy Darling - a Black Tea infused with rose petals and vanilla to create a beautifully floral and mellow cup of tea. The Adventure Tea is inspired by the colourful and exciting adventures of Peter Pan; a delicate and sunny black tea that balances citrus flavours and a hint of fiery ginger. 

The Peter Pan Afternoon Tea at Aqua Shard has been created in partnership with GOSH Charity. In 1929 J.M. Barrie unexpectedly and generously gifted his copyright in Peter Pan to GOSH and the relationship between the hospital and Peter Pan has continued ever since. A donation from each tea will go towards helping the hospital’s most urgent needs, which could include funding support services for patients and families, for example  parent accommodation and the play team; pioneering research to find treatments for the most complex childhood illnesses; providing advanced medical equipment; and supporting the rebuilding and refurbishment of the hospital to provide state-of-the-art facilities to match the hospital’s world-class care.

The Peter Pan Afternoon Tea will be served in the triple-storey atrium of Aqua Shard, boasting panoramic views of London’s skyline. The afternoon tea is priced at £61 per person, or £81 with a glass of Champagne or £90 with a glass of Veuve Clicquot Rose.