INTERVIEW: PHOEBE STONE
make it special.
Martha talks about tea and gives her tips for putting on a good spread…
“Afternoon tea is one of my favourite meals because it’s so unnecessary but so brilliant. It’s an extra meal in the middle of the afternoon – not dinner, not lunch, yet it has the best of everything, from cakes to scones to little sandwiches.
At the heart of my new book, Crave, is the joy you find in food when you want to indulge yourself and satisfy a craving, which is fitting because, at its heart, afternoon tea is about indulgence. I started baking when I was eight because I felt I wasn’t getting all the cakes I needed so I decided to fill that gap! I used to love reading and making Roald Dahl’s Revolting Recipes and that ignited a passion in me.
Since then I’ve been addicted to cookery books and love the process of turning raw ingredients into something beautiful.
Everyone loves to share food and if you can do that to raise money and awareness for charity, so much the better. Breast Cancer Care’s Afternoon Tea campaign encourages us to get together to do just that, and it’s brilliant to link cakes with good causes! Plus, cake is at the centre of so many occasions – every birthday; every wedding. What would these celebrations be without them?
My top afternoon tea tip is to be prepared.
Make sure you’ve assembled all the ingredients you’ll need ready when you start baking. For the sandwiches, don’t make them ahead as they’ll go dry, but do prepare the fillings, then keep them covered in the fridge so you can put them together easily when people arrive.
I love the pretty things that go with afternoon tea too… I once experienced a great Alice in Wonderland-themed Mad Hatter’s tea party at a posh hotel, where there were pannacottas with little ‘eat me’ labels. I recommend using proper old-fashioned china if you can, which helps to make it a memorable experience. After all, this isn’t your everyday tea and cake – it’s a special ritual.”
PHOTOGRAPHS ALEX LUCK AND LAURA EDWARDS
FOOD STYLING LOTTIE COVELL AND ANNIE RIGG
STYLING MORAG FARQUHAR AND
POLLY WEBB-WILSON
MARTHA’S TOP 3 SANDWICH FILLINGS
THE YOUNG QUEEN OF BAKES Martha serves up tea for two – or more
1Whipped feta with cucumber and pomegranate
Put 200g feta cheese in a food processor with 100ml double cream and whizz to a purée. Spread onto mini rolls or bread of your choice and top with sliced cucumber, pomegranate seeds and a little lemon zest.
2 Pimped-up tuna mayonnaise
Mix tinned tuna with a good quality mayonnaise. Stir in 2 thinly sliced spring onions and a squeeze of lemon juice, then season to taste. Dollop onto buttered bread of your choice, top with a little more spring onion, lemon zest and another piece of bread, slice into triangles and eat straightaway.
3 Cheddar and mango chutney
Thinly slice a good quality mature cheddar and arrange on buttered white bread. Spread mango chutney generously on the other half of the bread and sandwich the slices together.
Cut into thick fingers and serve straightaway.
Turn the page for Martha’s recipes
Mini doughnut muffins