An afternoon of baking with Eric Lanlard

Afternoon tea has fast become one of the nation’s favourite ways to while away the hours, a midday treat which allows one to sit and languidly sip tea, nibble on cake and get dressed up. Plus it’s a great excuse to drink prossecco at a time which may normally be frowned upon!)

To celebrate everything fabulous about afternoon tea, it has even been given it’s very own week where people flock to cafes, hotels and restaurans for a taste of some of the best teas around. We were lucky enough to be invited to meet Eric Lanlard in his cake boutique along the River Thames and learn some of his top secrets about the sweet treats on offer in his own Afternoon tea.

Eric Lanlard works with P&O cruises to create a unique afternoon tea on board Britannia, Azura and Ventura – we tried it on Britannia and can safely say it’s one of the most impressive afternoon tea’s we have ever had. Decadent and delicious, it encourages interaction, including an edible perfume and fruit infused cakes and is exclusive to P&O (you can check out our review here.) Because we had already sampled his mastery at work aboard we knew we were in for a treat with this masterclass.

We were taught to make a number of different cakes and desserts under Eric’s skillful guidance and I was surprised at just how professional they all looked! The kitchen is top of the range, the ingredients all of the best quality and the venue perfect.

The day finished with a luxurious afternoon tea inspired by Eric’s French beginnings. There were delicious savoury croissaints, beautifully coloured macarons and a whole array of mouthwatering cakes.

You can check out Eric’d class schedule here: https://cake-boy.com/school 

Whether you head to his patisserie in London or are heading aboard one of the P&O ships, you really cannot miss out on Eric Lanlard’s delectable treats – you won’t be disappointed…