In Macao and beset with a craving for high tea? Satisfy it at Sheraton Grand Macao within The Londoner Macao, where hospitality is inspired by all things British.
The swish property offers more than a fair share of UK rituals and experiences, including afternoon tea, which although having its roots in Britain has a solid fanbase all over the world. The tradition first appeared in 1840, pioneered by the Duchess of Bedford, who felt the need for a light meal to keep her satisfied until dinner.
There is more than one option for afternoon tea available at the resort, but The Conservatory at Sheraton Grand Macao – the hotel’s multi-dining destination – offers the quintessential British version.
The menu has been thoughtfully curated by Director of Culinary Richard Stuart, who knows more than a thing or two about the centuries-old ritual. The chef, who’s worked with some of the most acclaimed names in the business, grew up in Southwestern England, in picturesque Totnes, one of England’s six oldest towns. In designing the experience, he incorporated some of the foods he grew up with on the menu, bringing to life some of his fond childhood memories, and playing on creativity at the same time.
True to its name, the menu is a showcase of British delights and specialties. With a pristine coastline and sprawling countryside, Britain is home to a distinctive food culture that prioritises freshness and allows the natural flavours of its excellent produce to come through.
British culture, one bite at a time
On a recent visit, we were warmly greeted by a staff member who promptly saw us to our preferred table by the open façade of the restaurant, overlooking Sheraton Grand Macao’s Shakespeare’s Hall.
At The Conservatory, afternoon tea features a couple of substantial savoury dishes as well as the usual sandwiches and pastries. We were delighted with our decision to skip lunch, enabling us to get the most out of the experience.
The first dish, a flagship dish of British cuisine, did not disappoint. Often served as an accompaniment to roast beef, Yorkshire pudding originates in the 18th century, when it was featured in cookbooks published in the county for which it is named. Served here alongside incredibly tender slow-cooked beef short ribs and on a bed of fragrant London stout beer gravy, the pudding is the ultimate soul food.
Our pudding was followed by hot-off-the-skillet salmon fish cakes with garden peas served on a tartare butter sauce. With its pleasing silky texture and balanced taste, the sauce seamlessly tied the dish together.
Just as we savoured the last bite, our British afternoon tea set reached the table in the form of lavish tiers of delicate finger sandwiches and sweet confections, accompanied by freshly baked scones.
We dived into the scones while they were still warm. There are two ways of eating these – Devonshire style or Cornish style – and both have their aficionados. Being from Devon, the chef insisted on the method followed there, which holds that the clotted cream is always spread on the scone before the jam. In Cornwall, they put the jam on first, a big faux pas according to the chef.
Whichever method you choose, the dish is a perfect marriage of flavours, with the buttermilk and cranberry orange scones smothered with Tiptree artisanal preserves and Devonshire clotted cream.
Next up, came a selection of finger sandwiches. We started off with the Farmhouse sesame bloomer filled with a mixture of salt beef, onion and green bell pepper, a sandwich inspired by the corn beef salad chef Stuart‘s father made when he was a schoolboy. “The bloomer loaf is the British equivalent to the French baguette, it’s the national bread we buy at the bakery in the morning,” he explained.
Other finger sandwiches include red salmon pâté, pickled egg with mustard seed, and smoked chicken Waldorf, based on a classic chicken Waldorf salad, which the chef reinterpreted by serving the mix of smoked chicken breast, Granny Smith apple and walnuts on a pillowy English roll known as a bap.
We naturally saved the sweets till last. Featuring sponge cake soaked in Harveys Bristol Cream, layered with vanilla custard and fresh raspberries, the sherry trifle is a standout sweet within the eye-catching selection and one that the chef holds family memories of. “The Sherry trifle is one of five desserts my mom used to make every Sunday – she prepared one before church, took all four children to church, and then prepared the remaining four. This is probably one of the reasons why I became a chef,” he said.
Inspired by the popular pudding hailing from a town called Bakewell in Derbyshire, situated on the banks of the river Wye in Northern England, the Cherry Bakewell tart or slice is one of the chef’s favourites. A combination of shortbread biscuit, almond sponge and cherry compote, the chef put a twist on the classic by adding a fine decorative royal icing flavoured with Kirsh spirit, resulting in a delightful, moist cake.
As self-professed chocolate lovers, we chose to end our experience with the chocolate fudge cake with buttercream. The fudge cake, masterfully elevated by bits of sea salt that add a pleasing contrasting effect to the richness of the chocolate, is quite simply the best we’ve had.
Full of delicious comfort and finger food washed down with fine TWG jasmine tea, we decided to linger over a fizzy tea-based cocktail, the Eternal Summer Martini. Cocktails add a touch of modernity to a centuries-old ritual that makes it all the more convivial, not to mention extra lavish. We’re sure the Duchess of Bedford would have approved.
