Prêt-à-Portea at The Berkeley

The AW11 Prêt-à-Portea cake collection at The Berkeley

Just when everyone is busy putting together their autumn wardrobe, The Berkeley offers the perfect break from shopping. The hotel launched it’s Autumn/Winter 2011 cake collection for the famous Prêt-à-Portea, a fashion-inspired version of the traditional English afternoon tea which echos current catwalk trends. This season’s offering includes a stylish Stella McCartney polka dot sponge cake, Lanvin’s show-stopping bavarois dress with crème de mûre jelly topped with signature folded meringue, a gold Dolce & Gabbana chocolate éclair sprinkled with festive stars, the Miu Miu winter spice sparkly high-heeled shoe biscuit, Jil Sander’s pomegranate and grenadine mousse dress with a colourful flower-patterned cake, Sonia Rykiel’s striped almond mouthful filled with seasonal chestnut cream, complete with gold leaf detailing, and the Burberry trench biscuit featuring snow white vanilla icing with dark chocolate detailing.

Every season The Berkeley’s pastry chefs attend London Fashion Week to get a feel for which colours and textures will define the season to come. They then translate that into fashion’s edible counterpart. The beautiful cake and biscuit collection is served on Thomas Goode of Mayfair’ bespoke collection of Paul Smith fine bone china.

I seriously cannot wait to get back to London to book my spot at Prêt-à-Portea! Everything looks so delicious and interesting that all I want to do is explore what each and every one of the pastry chefs’ creations tastes like.

Prêt-à-Portea is served in The Caramel Room at The Berkeley from 1-6pm every day priced at £36.50 per person. (£46.50 including a glass of Laurent Perrier champagne, or alternatively for the fashion conscious, £53.00 per person including a glass of couture champagne). To make a reservation for Prêt-à-Portea call 020 7235 6000.

www.the-berkeley.co.uk