Virgin Atlantic To Offer High Tea in the Skies

Image: Traditional English afternoon tea: scones with clotted cream and jam, strawberries, with various sandwiches on the background, selective focus. (photo courtesy of Aiselin82 /iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Image: Traditional English afternoon tea: scones with clotted cream and jam, strawberries, with various sandwiches on the background, selective focus. (photo courtesy of Aiselin82 /iStock / Getty Images Plus)
Mia Taylor
by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 5:08 PM ET, Thu April 26, 2018

High-tea is typically a fairly formal affair.

An afternoon tradition arguably made most famous by Britain's upper class, it often includes the presentation of a variety of plated items ranging from cold meats to tarts, homemade bread, teacakes and fruitcake.

In other words, it's not your usual airline fare.

But that fact did not intimidate Virgin Atlantic, which has just announced that it is bringing the afternoon tea tradition to the skies.

The airline has partnered with master pâtissier and celebrity chef Eric Lanlard to create the experience, according to Metro, a British publication.

The special tea tradition will be available at the Virgin Atlantic London Heathrow Clubhouse and also on the airline's flights worldwide, in all cabins - upper class, premium and economy.

As part of the experience, lucky Virgin Atlantic passengers will be presented with tea stand that's overflowing with such options as a prosciutto, sun blushed tomato and rocket stone-baked Campagne brown roll; smoked salmon, cream cheese and dill mint mini croissants and broccoli, goat's cheese and crew savory tart.

Just one more mouth-watering reason to fly Virgin no?

There will also be plenty of sweet treats, according to Metro, such as homemade plain and sultana scones with strawberry preserve; a lemon and clotted cream, Eton mess verrine with strawberry coulis, apple and blackberry cake and a dark chocolate brownie with salted caramel sauce.

And of course, there will be tea. As well as champagne for those who are not exactly the tea type.

The new mile-high take on afternoon tea will be rolled out in late summer.

Lanlard, the chef behind all of this mouthwatering fabulousness, will be trialing the first onboard tea offing himself on a special flight so that he can make sure everything is just perfect.

Some jobs have the best perks.


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Mia Taylor

Mia Taylor

Senior Editor

Mia Taylor is an award-winning journalist who has two decades of experience. Most recently she worked as a staff writer for America's largest digital publisher DotdashMeredith, where she contributed stories on a daily basis to four of the company's most iconic brands - Parents,Real Simple, Better Homes & Gardens, and Health. Her work has also appeared in Travel + Leisure, The Boston Globe, The San Diego UnionTribune, Westways Magazine, Fortune, and more.

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