We caught up with executive pastry chef at Four Seasons Sylvain Goujon and got the chance to try the Crown Jewels themed Afternoon Tea. 

Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square is set in a stunning neoclassical building in the heart of London. A stroll across the marble foyer, through the doors straight ahead and you arrive at The Rotunda, where Afternoon Tea is served. The impressive domed ceiling gives the dining space a soft glow and the service is accompanied by piano which the perfect finishing touch to the atmosphere.

The current menu, the Crown Jewels Afternoon Tea, takes inspiration from the crown jewels of the neighbouring Tower of London. Each pastry is influenced by a different treasure in the collection. The regal theme is carried through in the rest of the Afternoon Tea as guests can enjoy traditional British flavours throughout, with some added intrigue and touches of French inspiration.

The head pastry chef, Sylvain Goujon has a long history with pastry. Born and raised in Burgundy, he enrolled in in Lycée Le Castel to pursue his dream of becoming a baker at age fifteen. Goujon debuted in various Michelin starred restaurants before he moved to London from France in 2016 as Head Pastry Chef for Anne-Sophie Pic’s first UK restaurant, La Dame de Pic London. Anne-Sophie Pic, the chef executive at Four Seasons is the most decorated Michelin starred female chef in the world, currently holding ten Michelin stars across her restaurants.

The kitchens at Four Seasons focus heavily on customer experience. ‘The beauty of my job is that there’s no typical day,’ Goujon says. Special occasions and requests dictate the plan for each service.  Today a regular’s dog is turning nine, so there will be a surprise party in celebration. They are creating a dog friendly cake for the birthday boy, made from sweet potato. ‘We like to do special things for the guests’ he says.

We started the experience with a chilled glass of Bilecart Salmon Brut and a cup of Jasmine tea. Sandwiches and scones are served first on a tiered stand. The sandwiches are traditional English fare amplified with touches to make the flavours sing. The usually humble cucumber sandwich gets a makeover as it features minted cucumber with espelette pepper cream cheese.

The plain and sultana scones come nestled in a cloth napkin, each stamped meticulously with the tree from the four seasons logo – complete with leaves adorning some of the branches – in rose gold on the sultana scones and gold on the plain scones. We were thrilled to see choice of three toppings plus clotted cream. The lemon curd is particularly delicious and a source of pride for the Four Seasons. Made with Calamansi (known as Philippine lemon) ‘it’s more powerful and complex than lemon’ says Goujon.

Finally – the jewel in the crown - the pastry selection. Goujon advises starting with the Highgrove Garden, a very intriguing structure featuring the lightest chocolate sponge with mint and pepper chocolate Crémeux.

Next, ‘The Victoria’ incorporates the King’s favourite tea with a black Darjeeling mousse and Victoria sponge cake with raspberry confit. The tart raspberry and spice from the Darjeeling complement each other nicely.

‘The Coin’ is made up of very fine layers of fluffy chocolate mousse with salted caramel and hazelnut crunch. Despite the rich components, it’s ethereally light and is my personal favourite.

Last but not least – the piéce de resistance ‘The Crown’. Fresh Gariguette (a type of French strawberry) confit, layered with citrussy shiso Crémeux, all housed in an impressive structure made from yuzu chocolate. Almost too beautiful to eat – almost.

Each part of the Afternoon Tea experience has been carefully considered, with an attention to detail throughout the menu. Each flavour ties together themes from the hotel, its kitchen and of course the neighbouring Tower of London. ‘Everything must be well organised and meticulous’ says Goujon. ‘We have the three Michelin stars because we have to repeat perfection on a daily basis.’

To find out more and book the Rotunda Bar & Lounge at Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square Afternoon Tea, visit here.