Supporting social responsibility and sustainability, The Langham, Hong Kong introduces eco-friendly elements on a new interpretation to The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood served in Palm Court.
Pedro Samper, executive chef of the hotel, sourced different social enterprises that specialise in producing organic ingredients and Fair Trade products. Imported from Guatemala to Ghana, and India to Vietnam, the organic components come from small local growers from around the world. Agriculture advisors educate the farmers on best practices to create clean products using no chemicals or pesticides where even organic fertiliser is used to ensure sustainability and quality of the crop.
The Fair Trade elements are ethically sourced and eco-friendly, as well as improving terms of trade to marginalised producers. This initiative provides a safe workplace and a steady income to workers and farmers, creating a balanced and respectable relationship between land, growers and customers.
“There is great work being done to encourage sustainable living and we have an opportunity to create social and environmental values. Paving a sustainable future for food is necessary for society and our business,” said Executive Chef Pedro Samper.
The new eco-friendly enhancements to The Langham Afternoon Tea with Wedgwood experience features sweet treats such as the Fair Trade Ghana Three Chocolate Delight. Coloured with different hues of cocoa, the decadent layered mousse is sprinkled with organic caramelised cashew brittle that have no additives or preservatives. Imported from India, the cashews are roasted with the finest organic raw cane sugar from Paraguay by a group of local women in Hong Kong.
Fruit freshly picked and sourced from local farmers in Vietnam, the Kumquat, Banana and Dragon Fruit Religieuse Choux stacks up against the rest with two crispy choux pastry cases on top of one another. Both have the fruit crème pâtissière filling and polished with a golden sweet glaze.
The Fair Trade Guatemala Coffee and Caramel Dome offers a thick coat of caramel and crowned with chocolate pearls. The dome filling is a coffee and caramel mousse with caramelised crêpes crumbs and roasted hazelnuts as the base.
Other delights include the Organic Philippine Carabao Mango Cake with a layer of raspberry jam and topped with sustainable farm fresh raspberries. And the Organic Zhejiang Green Tea and Lychee Mousse sits on top of a white chocolate square with a moist matcha-flavoured financier cake at the bottom.
The savoury selection also goes sustainable with socially responsible ingredients. The range of appetising bites include Mini Organic New Zealand Lamb Shepherd’s Pie and Sustainable Maine Crab with Organic Granny Smith Apple, Salmon Roe and Shiso Cress, to Slow Cooked Organic Chicken Roulade with Pistachio and Prune Compote and Organic Farmed Roma Tomatoes with sheets of Mozzarella Cheese and Raspberry Jelly.
Guests will still be able to enjoy the original signature sweets such as the Crispy Raspberry Éclair, Rose-scented Lychee Mousse, Red Fruit Mille-feuille and the Pink Chocolate Lollipops.
Continuing the afternoon tea tradition, the Palm Court bakery will also serve a warm selection of plain and golden raisin scones, Devonshire clotted cream, and organic strawberry and rose preserve. Guests who book this afternoon tea will take away the handcrafted artisanal jam.
The green experience is complemented by a selection of organic beverages, including English Breakfast Tea, Earl Grey and Cocoa certified by Fair Trade and 100% Arabica bean brewed coffee. The beverage condiment is also an organic raw cane sugar stick, completely natural without any chemical additives.
The Eco-Friendly Afternoon Tea is available at Palm Court from 1 February to 31 March 2016, served on weekdays from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m., and on weekends and public holidays in two sittings, from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m., and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
It is priced at HK$348 per person and HK$598 for two persons, subject to 10% service charge.
For reservations and enquiries, please call 2132 7898 or email [email protected].