Staying cool this summer with vintage

When you think of vintage afternoon tea you imagine a table set with exquisitely designed bone china, crisp white tablecloths and delicate lace napkins. Being served delicious finger sandwiches oozing with egg mayonnaise or cream cheese and cucumber fillings, scones topped generously with fruity jam and cream and of course copious amounts of tea!

Now here at Strawberry Fayre HQ we love a traditional cream tea, but in this hot weather we’ve been thinking why not ‘pimp your tea party?’

Exchange your English breakfast or earl grey for refreshing iced peppermint tea with fresh sprigs of mint, or zingy pink passion fruit with lime and kiwi served on crushed ice.

 Or you could really go to town with a Tom Collins or Mai Tai cocktail poured from China teapots. Sandwiches could be swapped for sushi and scones for raspberry ripple ice cream or a tart black currant sorbet spooned out of delicate vintage cups!

 For larger gatherings Kilner jars are a great way to present your fruit mocktail or punch, which guests can then serve themselves using fine vintage flutes or Babycham glasses, even jam jars with straws for that rustic feel.

Are you liking the sound of this?

We’ve bought together a number of ideas on our Pinterest board which we hope will inspire you. We definitely believe they offer a great twist on the traditional tea for hen parties, baby showers or just girly get togethers this summer! 

As always the Strawberry Fayre team are happy to advise and guide you in helping to make your event that extra bit special so do get in touch, otherwise we get lonely!

This week has seen us whipping up a storm in the kitchen. Free range eggs, sifted flour, creamy butter, fairtrade sugar it can only mean one thing! Yes, you've guessed it- we've been trialing new recipes and re-visiting some good old favourites in order to create cake perfection.

Our husbands have obviously hated being the guineapigs! Their favourites - a light and moist carrot cake with succulent sultanas and the subtle warmth of mixed spice was a winner. Whilst our zingy lemon cake infused with fresh lemons and topped with a sweet lemon curd buttercream also went down a treat!

Our colleagues (in our other lives as a primary teacher, nurse and business development manager) have not missed out either -  they too have enjoyed an icing fuelled week - a must when teaching tired 4 and 5 year olds in the last week of term. Mary Berry's Cappuccino Coffee cake was a real hit with the ladies at work, even those who aren't particular coffee lovers couldn't resist this deep, luxurious cake - we will certainly be adding this one to our collection.

Strangely more and more people are offering to be our chief cake samplers!

The question is what to bake next?

Are you partial to a slice of freshly baked, homemade cake?

Where does your love of cakes lie - are you a classic Victoria Sponge fan, light and fluffy, oozing with jam and cream? Or a rich, gooey, sumptious chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream? Maybe you are partial to something a little bit more unusual - a moist carrot cake packed full with chunks of juicy pineapple?  Or a trendy little dark chocolate and beetroot number? We'd love to know!

The question is out there - which cake tickles your taste buds?