Virgin Atlantic ‘Highest High Tea In The World’

Virgin Atlantic brings a truly British tradition to its Upper Class in-flight dining experience delivering High Tea at 35,000ft

Earning itself the title of the ‘Highest High Tea in the world’, and quite a title too! the new afternoon tea service is just one of the glamorous touches recently introduced into Virgin Atlantics new Upper Class meal service, unfortunately I wont be going anywhere upper class soon but the idea of having High tea at 35,000 ft sounds like a great way to spend a flight .

Belinda Gurd, regional PR manager for Virgin Atlantic, commented that the High Tea service will add a unique element to the Upper Class service.

“The new Upper Class meal service which includes our brand new beautiful Coup champagne glasses, bespoke designer cutlery, new menu and of course the iconic afternoon tea trolley, aims to bring the romance and glamour back to flying.

“This new service is a perfect excuse for our passengers to experience something totally different at 35,000 feet!” said Gurd.

The Virgin Atlantic High Tea is presented on a two-tiered stand and consists of scones with jam and cream, mini cupcakes and finger sandwiches in keeping with the tradition, to complete the service passengers are given a tea pot and cafetiere plus a selection of fine herbal and fruit teas.
To ensure the high tea service meets the standards of high tea aficionados, Virgin Atlantic has enlisted Michelle Milton, founder of the High Tea Society, to provide her thoughts on the latest addition to the Upper Class menu.

“Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class service captures the essence of traditional High Tea but in a uniquely Virgin way. The time-honored scones with jam and cream and finger sandwiches are just as one would expect, however the unusual setting provides a modern twist on high tea.
“By making this addition to its already fantastic Upper Class service, Virgin Atlantic is returning to the good old days when flying was a pleasure not a chore,” said Milton

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Spicenews

Bubbleology - London Bubble Tea

For those who are still in the dark about Bubbleology, it’s an exciting new café concept serving bubble tea, a selection of delicious fruit flavoured iced teas, brewed fresh and shaken over ice like a (non-alcoholic) cocktail. With it’s initial launch in Soho and second site at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge, the media buzz and social media activity has helped create a sensational launch for the brand.

Inspired by the exacting process behind producing the perfect cup of bubble tea, Mystery conceived the name and defined the strategic brand vision to promote the fun nature of the product through a brand with a vibrant, kitsch and pseudo-scientific character. 

Check out the official Bubbleology website at: www.bubbleology.co.uk

The Icecreamists - The Ice Cream Revolution

       

“God Save The Cream”

“If you thought you knew ice cream, think again"

http://www.theicecreamists.com/

God Save the Cream, Lick the Icecreamists Cones on Covent Garden Piazza!  In London's hip and fashionable Covent Garden you will find the United Kingdom's answer to the famous Italian Gelato.. The IceCreamists boutique ice cream pallor breaks the mould with its sex, drugs and rock and roll attitude and decor. The term revolution can be thrown around, but trust us when we use this term in conjunction with the IceCreamists.  In this ice cream pallor the only thing bigger then its attitude; is its mouthwatering taste!  

The Icecreamists Covent Garden piazza

Matt O'Conner

Kate: As to be expected with such a brand, the Icecreamists founder Matt O'Conner is no stranger to controversy and publicity.

Matt is the founder of the fathers' rights group 'Fathers 4 Justice' in the UK. This campaign is one that Chelsie and I firmly believe in, and its message is simple: Parents should have equal parenting rights after separation, and that throughout a child's life fathers should be allowed to play an active role in their child's development regardless of said separation. Matt has been recognised for his actions, and was voted the 92nd most powerful man in Britain by GQ Magazine for his work with 'Father's4Justice'. 

It was during his campaigning for 'Father's4Justice', Matt was labeled an extremist his reply to such a statement " I am not and extremist I am icecreamist! " and thus the name was born .

Matt unsurprisingly a lover of ice cream initially began his journey with the Icecreamists at the iconic Selfridges department store with his very own pop up store. It was in these early days that Matt invested heavily in understanding the requirements of creating great tasting ice cream, and even travelled to the home of Ice Cream; Italy to pick up tips. Alongside acquiring vital information on ice cream production, Matt also had experience in designing restaurants and bars. So coming up with something quirky and inspiring was something that was almost second nature to him.

It would be fair to say that the Icecreamists knows just how to generate lots of publicity, which of course includes the infamous breast-milk ice cream, neatly titled Baby Gaga. This is the somewhat bold idea that if you drink milk from cows; why not from a human female? Baby Gaga resulted in a lawsuit from Lady Gaga herself demanding a name change and Westminster Council embarking on a crusade to ban the ice cream. Although the product is no longer sold, it's legacy lives on.

A final interesting fact Chelsie and I were told when visiting their flagship London store is that each ice cream flavour on the menu is subject to scientific testing. By this we mean lucky tasters were blind folded and allowed to sample each flavour. Only the most popular ice cream flavours are allowed to proceed, and it is these that are sold in the store today!

Chelsie: In February 2012, Kate and I visited the Icecreamists. We love to try things a little different and we love ice cream so it seemed a very logical pastime. I can honestly say approaching the front door, I had no idea what to expect.

The decor of the store, is awesome! Very Sex Pistol/ Vivienne Westwood. The store is two stories, the ground floor is split in two with a take away part, enticing customers with its luxurious ice cream and the other side a kooky restaurant with neon flashing lights, plastic splatted ice cream cones, ice cream inspired quotes including 'lick your addiction' and ice cream art featuring some very iconic and dare I say infamous faces in the style of Andrew Warhol.

The staff are also part of the brand image dressed in what can only be described as mild bondage attire. Despite this edgy dress code staff are down to earth, very friendly and go above and beyond in maintaining your satisfaction throughout your experience.

Gorgeous Ice Cream Selections 

Kate: We began our Ice Cream revolution with the tasting menu, and we did in fact try every flavour in the store (if only I owned a time machine!). I can honestly say in some cases the decor can compensate for a mediocre product, but that could not be further from the truth with the Icecreamists. The flavoursome taste blew me and my taste buds away.

We could not resist a photo without the hats on!

All the Ice Cream that is sold in the store is produced in the Icecreamists sister store also located in Covent Garden on Maiden Lane. The Ice Cream has a maximum shelf life of two days unlike some of more commercial generic brand name ice creams we are familiar with. The ice cream flavours available range from the traditional vanilla, to the more quirky peanut butter (with real peanut butter chunks in!) to the extravagant Ferraro Roche and finally to the downright kinky Sex Bomb, with a few shall we say libido enhancing extras included!

Maiden lane boutique

I enjoyed every flavour! Each one had its own punchy attitude and taste, Chelsie and I debated for some time but our top 5 picks are as follows-

Kate: (1) Ferrero Roche,  (2) Mould Wine, (3) (Smack, Crack, & Pop) Popcorn, (4) Glastonbury,  (5) Jamaican ginger cake.

Chelsie: (1) (Smack, Crack, & Pop) Popcorn, (2) Sex Drugs and Choc and Roll, (3) Peanut Butter,  (4) Pistachio,  (5) Sex Bomb 

We must say that some of these ice cream flavours are bold enough to enjoy on their own, but some flavours are lovely to mix together and finding your perfect combination is all part of the fun!

YUM!

Chelsie : The Icecreamists signature item without doubt is its lustful ice cream, however the restaurant does offer some additional guilty pleasures with choices varying depending on the time of year. The winter menu includes a chocolate fondue, hot chocolate, ice sandwiches, ice cream cocktails and British doughnuts..

I shall begin with the British doughnuts which the Icecreamists have included in their revolution. The doughnuts are all made to fresh to order, and are piping hot little rings of pleasure dusted in a top secret blend of cinnamon and spices served with a choice of winter ice creams.                                                                                        

I am the first to admit these are not exactly short of calories, but OH MY ARE THEY WORTH IT. After such indulgence we just had no more room left to try the other teasers on the menu but trust us if there are anything like the doughnuts, you are in for a treat!

We ended our revolutionary experience by trying two of the Icecreamists cocktails MissWhip lash (red cocktail pictured) and The Molotoffee Cocktail. These two cocktails were real headbangers in terms of the intense flavour and alcohol kick with each sip. Our favourite cocktail although granted a close call was the Molotoffee.. why? See below!

THE MOLOTOFFEE COCKTAIL: –  This cocktail is a combination of chilled Crème De Banana Liqueur topped with Dulce De Leche ice cream, and toffee all insulated under a pillow of soft meringue. The cocktail was then blow torched to perfection at our table!

THE INFAMOUS SEX-BOMB™ –  Gird your loins for the infamous ‘Sex Bomb’ ice cream cocktail – the one ice cream authorities can’t diffuse. Benefiting from a weapons upgrade in 2011, this classic Fior di Latte ice cream is blended with natural stimulants (Ginko Bilabo, Arginine, Guarana) and other secret ingredients for blood flow and energy! The cocktail is scented with a gentle infusion of citrus zest and topped with a shot of burning La Fee Absinthe. This cocktail is administered from a hospital IV drip, for explosive results.

The cocktail is s strictly limited to one ice cream per customer. Suitable for persons of 18 years and older.

Keep up with all the news of whats going on at the Icecreamists by liking them on facebook

http://www.facebook.com/TheIcecreamists

We give the Icecreamists a rare 10/10! The style, taste and fabulous staff make this experience unmissable! This is THE PLACE for any ice cream lover, or even a sinful tasty treat.  The parlour is something unique, and your unlikely to have seen anything quite like it before.. and thats not even including the ice cream which will captivate you- we promise! 

DID YOU KNOW? The Icecreamists will soon be releasing their very first book with unprecedented access to all the closely guarded secrets allowing you to re create the ice creams, sorbets, ice cream cocktails, sundaes, desserts and ice lollies! Chelsie and I cannot wait to get our hands on this book!

The Icecreamists: Boutique Ice Creams and Other Guilty Pleasures to Make and Enjoy at Home

Book

pre order today :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1845337069/

THE REAL FLOWER COMPANY

Sunday 18 March is Mother's Day in the UK – delight the mum in your life

   

With the Real flower company 

Whether they come from the flower paddocks on its farm in Hampshire or from its sustainably-run farm in the foothills of Mount Kenya, The Real Flower Company’s flowers are irresistible.

Growing flowers this glorious is a labour of love. From preparing the soil to planting and harvesting, every single flower bed is tended by hand. The stems are individually selected, cut, prepared and tied by the team. The Real Flower Company believes they are worth the effort and so do Horticultural Week and Grower Magazine, which awarded The Real Flower Company the ‘Cut Flower Grower of the Year 2009’ trophy.

The Real Flower Company’s Farms

The Real Flower Company aims to be a responsible employer, an accountable business, and to help the environment. Its Hampshire farm is part of the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and it farms under the LEAF marque, linking farming and the environment. Nesting boxes attract insect loving birds, and no weed killers are used on its flower beds.

Also under the LEAF marque, the Kenyan farm is a Gold member of The Kenya Flower Council. Employing more than 300 people in the area, it is pioneering water management techniques with its sustainable water use. It also supplies vegetables for the local schools.

Presentation and Delivery

Flowers can be delivered the next day from Tuesday to Saturday if the order is placed by 2.30pm the day before.

Untying the wide satin bow and opening the lid of the rich green square delivery box releases the flowers’ heady perfume and reveals the delightful colours of your chosen bouquet.

The flowers are wrapped in tissue and cellophane, with their stems contained in a water bubble to keep them fresh during their journey. Your message, carefully handwritten by The Real Flower Company team, is enclosed, together with flower food and care instructions.

MOTHER'S DAY COLLECTION

Treat mum with a beautiful bouquet of flowers this mothers day from the real flower company .

And a beautiful collection of candles

Meadow, Lavender and Rose Garden 

http://www.realflowers.co.uk/