So have we all recovered from New York Fashion Week yet? As ever, it was a wildly hectic affair here in Little Britain, with models, stylists, and designers galore. Lara Stone stopped by for a good feeding, and our finger sandwiches were seen at the city’s best-catered parties between only the most fabulous of digits.
Now that the last shepherd’s pie has been served, and the tea leaves settle at the bottom of the pot, it’s easy to feel that the party’s over. But fear not, as sure as night follows day, London Fashion Week is here to keep your glitter, glam and gorgeous quotas fulfilled.
The former ugly sister of the FW calendar looks set to blossom this year, as the success of young upstarts like House of Holland lure back the old guard of Stella McCartney et al to show for the first time in years. We thought we’d spoil you with a Monday morning feature on one of our fave designers, Alice Temperley. Not least as it’s a great excuse for pictures of Kate and Pippa Middleton, both big fans:
Pairing a silk blouse with a Remembrance Poppy
You go, cowgirl!
Having grown up on a cider farm, Alice certainly know her apples (sorry!). Headquartered in the super fashionable Notting Hill, she founded the label fresh from university in 2000, and now has standalone boutiques in Dubai, and Los Angeles. Sadly her Broome Street boutique closed in 2010.
Temperley London, 2-10 Colville Mews, W11
Awarded Elle Best Young Designer of the Year 2004, she’s known for her indulgent fabrics and hand-finishes. What’s more, American Vogue have heralded her: ‘the designer making the biggest waves in British fashion’.
As you can see from her London store, Alice is truly flying the flag for fabulous British fashion! So it seems only right to raise a teacup, and wish her the very best for London Fashion Week!
Good Morning New York, and what a fantastic morning it is. Snow may be threatening, you may not have bagged that front row NYFW seat you were after, and the world of coffee may have just taken a turn for the worst (yet another reason to drink tea), but we awake to news of, quite possibly, the most significant scientific breakthrough of our lifetimes.
Brew-me-o & Perculate... Leo launches a coffee brand?! Apologies for the pun, it's still early...
Scientists at Tel Aviv University have found that a slice of chocolate cake may be the perfect way to start the day for those wanting to lose weight. After a 32-week study on 193 people, it was found that those eating a balanced 600-calorie breakfast, including the gateux, lost more weight than those who took a 300 calorie, low-carb diet.
Eat me... and lose weight?!
The brainbox in charge concluded that, “the participants in the low-carbohydrate diet group had less satisfaction and felt that they were not full.” Read the rest of the article here. Then, get out of your pyjamas and get down to Greenwich Avenue; we’re serving our famous chocolate cake from 9.30am!
For those of you who don’t know Sean, he is Nicky’s other half and joint proprietor of Tea & Sympathy and A Salt & Battery. He’s not a bad looking chap either, and recently featured in J Crew’s advertisement, alongside other stellar New Yorkers. He’s in good company next to Michael Chernow of The Meatball Shop, Beyonce’s creative director Jenke Ahmed Tailly, and a smattering of Wall Street hotshots. What with it being New York Fashion Week, we thought it was the perfect time to share this with you.
His Q&A is published next week, so check back for some top-notch Tea & Sympathy tales…
A little-known phenomenon of New York Fashion Week is the transformation of Tea & Sympathy into the second home of London’s fash pack. Designers, photographers, models and stylists stand in line longer than they would for a Gucci pre-sale, turning our humble bench into the hottest unofficial ticket in town.
As the week winds down, what we like to call “Mum’s grub” syndrome kicks in. It is a sad fact that part of a model’s job is staying skinny, and we can’t help but notice that through the week these beautiful, young things will push around a plate of Ab Fab Salad under the hawk-like stares of their agent. But once the catwalk has been walked, and they’re out of the spotlight, these girls sure know how to treat themselves – and for those after a taste of home, we’re the first port of call.
Sausages, pies, mac & cheese and pasties abound, all with extra bacon, double mash and gravy. And when the main course is served, there’s always room for dessert. Which is why this week we bring you the recipe for a firm fashionista’s favorite… Treacle Pudding!
FYI. A few years back, Kate Moss put away TWO helpings of this dessert – and that was after a plate of Bangers & Mash!
Treacle Pudding
Treacle is pronounced TREE-cull. This recipe can be made with black treacle instead of golden, if you wish. There are many different variations of this pudding, some made with suet and some not. We use Tate & Lyle golden syrup, which is a refined sugar product that tastes like a cross between honey and molasses. We sell both in store; see below for more details.
Here's a snap from our restaurant. Smothering in custard is optional, but we think the best way to have it.... And we know Kate agrees! Image courtesy of Serious Eats New York.
Serves 8-10
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
1 recipe sponge batter for Victoria Sandwich
1 1/4 cups Tate & Lyle golden syrup (a little extra will do no harm)
Hot custard, optional
Tea & Sympathy 