I had always thought nothing could be better than a spot of afternoon tea with some friends. Until the Fullerton Hotel in Sydney announced their Purple-themed afternoon tea, in celebration of International Women’s Day 2020.
Having previously stayed at the Fullerton Bay Hotel in Singapore back in 2016, I was eager to bask in the amazing hospitality that I had experienced in the past and boy, I was not disappointed.
Upon arrival at the Fullerton Hotel Sydney, located in the historic former General Post Office building, I was struck at how upscale but warm the lobby was. It was amazing to think that such a historic building was housing one of Sydney’s best 5 star hotels.
Situated in the lobby, we found ourselves sitting in the uncovered section of ‘The Bar’ upon plush lounge chairs and offered the options of coffee, tea, a flute of R de Ruinart Champagne or their signature Sydney Sling cocktail. It was a no brainer, after this long work week we decided that cocktails with our afternoon catch up were much needed. And when three Sydney Sling’s arrived at our table, we knew we had made the right choice. Made with the famed, Victorian ‘Navy Strength’ gin by Four Pillars, giggles were in store for the rest of the day.
We journeyed onto the food as two wonderfully purple stands were whisked onto our table and set before us. Our gloved host talked us through the savoury and sweet tiers and noted that the traditional scones would be served warm at the end of our courses.
I always love to start afternoon tea with the savoury tier (I sometimes think that people who start at the sweets are super adventurous!), I started with the coloured Prosciutto (yellow) Bagel and could not help but feel so happy when I looked at the beautiful spread, not only was purple featured predominately throughout the courses but also pops of yellow and green which made it all, so pleasing to the eye.
Next up were my two personal favourites: the Pistachio, Cream Cheese and Asparagus Pinwheel sandwiches and the Crab in a Waffle Basket. Both were so deliciously melt in the mouth, creamy but not too rich, yum! Onto the smoked salmon Mille-Feuille, I had only ever consumed a sweet, traditional Mille-Feuille so this was a pleasant and not to mention pretty surprise.
Finishing off on the savoury tier, we indulged in a layered vegetarian offering that consisted of a sandwich topped with Pumpkin Puree, Baked Sweet Potato and all beautifully presented in an array of colours and edible flowers. The perfectly balanced Philly Blueberry Tart served as a path onto the sweets tier that we happily gobbled down and made our way upstairs to purple heaven!
Topped with an array of sweet treats, I wasn’t too sure on where to begin because everything was just so enticing. But alas, who would resist anything that comes in a miniature cup and onto the Acai Blackberry Cremeux I went. Silky smooth and creamy, I thought to myself that Acai is the new superfood right? So this must be healthy!
Next up was the Shiraz and Madagascan Chocolate Truffles, served on a stick and embellished with golden pop and crackle candy (what a surprise). The bitterness of the chocolate was balanced allowing for me to really bask in the subtleness of the Shiraz. Following on was the Violet and Blackcurrant Macarons: The macaron was purple and smooth and decorated with the symbol for International Women’s Day. As a baker myself I have always been in awe of a perfectly made macaron and this was no exception.
We were halfway through the sweets tier before I could bear to cut through the cutest dessert I had ever seen at an afternoon tea, the Yuzu Viola Flowerpot. How could anyone eat something so intricate and adorable? Well to answer that, me and everyone else who dines at the Fullerton this month! A lovely tangy citrus based sweet paired with a chocolate soil – if it wasn’t so delicious I would have taken one home and preserved it on my bookshelf!
As much as I loved the beauty of the flowerpot, hands down the Lavender Manuka Pomponette was the star of the sweets tier for me. A lush and light cake texture, topped with a sugar flower and sitting upon a perfectly thin biscuit base. It was the perfect sweet for me – not too sweet that I felt sick after eating one (one is a lie, I definitely stole my guests one too!). We finished off the two tiers of deliciousness with the blueberry cheesecake and as you cut through the centre, a vibrant blueberry compote oozed out.
As we ordered our second round of Sydney Slings and warm scones hit our table (traditional plain and black raisin) I thought to myself as I smothered my scone in clotted cream and house-made strawberry jam, about how lucky I was to be a modern day woman and how special it is that in this day and age, we can all come together to raise awareness around gender equality.
The Fullerton Hotel Sydney has done a magnificent job in its commitment to supporting women in its showcase of gorgeous and delicious treats in this Afternoon Tea spread. The quote provided by Mr Mark Burns, the General Manager of The Fullerton Hotel in Sydney resonates with me as I look back at my experience at the Fullerton Hotel.
‘The Fullerton Hotel Sydney is a gender-balanced workplace that supports diversity and inclusion without boundaries. Women have always been an integral part of our team and we strive towards providing a respectful workplace environment for all our associates.”
The Afternoon Tea is priced at A$58 per person including coffee or tea, A$68 per person including a signature Sydney Sling cocktail; or A$78 per person with a flute of R de Ruinart Champagne.
In its generous gesture for the month of March, the Fullerton Hotel will be running this incredibly special Purple Themed Afternoon Tea, with a portion of its proceeds being donated to UN Women Australia, in support of the UN’s Women’s programmes worldwide to ensure that every woman and girl has the same opportunities to lead, learn and earn a decent living to achieve their full potential.
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Reviews for this venue:
- 22 June 2024: Winter Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
- 30 March 2022: Signature Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
- 16 October 2020: Pink Afternoon Tea at The Fullerton Hotel Sydney
