The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Week

 

Well, this week, events are taking place all over the country to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation and the Platinum Jubilee.

In the midst of all this, we will be offering afternoon tea on both holidays (2nd and 3rd), one of the things we have been wanting to do since we moved in.

Japanese Afternoon Tea

and

English-style Japanese afternoon tea

The two types of tea are served this time. 

As you may know, we have been to the Japanese Afternoon Tea several times in the past, but it is almost (?) plant-based (plant-derived food). It is an afternoon tea with a focus on Japanese sweets, although it is vegetarian food.

English-style Japanese afternoon tea is an afternoon tea that incorporates Japanese elements into the basic afternoon tea. This is a vegetarian afternoon tea, with ingredients such as gelatine replaced with kuzu or agar.

Both are £20 per person. (As this is during half-term, each adult can share with one child (under 14 years). However, for the second child or more, each child will have to order their own afternoon tea.)

Please note that on both public holidays (2nd and 3rd), afternoon tea will only be served from 1.00pm to 5.00pm and no hot food will be served on the day. Please note that there will be no hot food service on the day.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Menu

Japanese Afternoon Tea

Sushi and kobachi of seasonal vegetables

Seasonal Japanese sweets (strawberry daifuku, stemed cake with rose, green tea and strawberry Agar jelly)

Roses and corgi Nerikiri

(contains soy)

English-style Japanese afternoon tea

Three sandwiches (pumpkin croquette, egg roll with cucumber and eggplant dengaku)

Scones (choice of green tea, fruit or plain) + cream & jam or an-an's special sweet bean paste

Strawberry shortcake, Yuzu trifle, dark Matcha mille crepe

(Contains wheat, gluten, dairy, egg and soy).

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

So, ladies and gentlemen, enjoy this historic week!

Congratulations, Queen Elizabeth!

＊＊＊＊＊

June opening hours

Please check before you come as many days have changed opening hours.

Report of Japanese Arts and Crafts workshop - Kintsugi -

Sorry for taking so long to write about this event.

Here is a report on the Japanese Craft Workshop that took place on Sunday 3 April.

Because of the short notice and the fact that the first craft was kintsugi (metal-joining), there were only three participants, including myself. So, I think we were able to take our time and satisfactorily kintsugi.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

The mug on the left was a one-off piece made by a friend of participant A's in France, and it had a very good grip, but it had a big chip on it and had been used as is for a long time.

The plates in the middle and on the right were a gift to the café. They were just right for serving a special lunch, but in an accident two of the five plates were broken, and I kept wondering whether I should throw them all away. On the right side, the cracks were so bad that I had given up, but the instructor said, "Let's do it!" and he helped me.

First, the cracks were attached with a special glue and the missing parts were filled with quick-drying clay. After it dried, it was actually very difficult. Anyway, we sanded and smoothed the unevenness so that it wouldn't disappear. This was probably the most time-consuming part. My arms hurt!

And then a short break for a snack😋

When we regain our strength, we knead a mixture of gold powder and nikawashi, and fill in the cracks. This is where the beautiful lines of gold unique to kintsugi are formed.

Here is the mug after restoration. The colour matches so well.

And this, oh my! These are the plates that were cracked to pieces!

It's a little hard to tell from the photo, but the colouring, combined with the gold lines, has taken the plates to a whole new level of charm💖.

We will continue to serve special weekly lunches on these plates. Enjoy!

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

Now, I'm going to invite an instructor to conduct a workshop like this once a month, which is associated with Japanese art techniques.

Next time in May, we are planning a workshop on flower arrangement, as it is the beautiful season of flowers.

Please keep watching this space!!!