Secrets and Spies – a very British tea with the original cast of Operation Mincemeat
A trip to London presents unlimited opportunities to admire and experience the very best of British culture and history. Iconic attractions like Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster are a must-see for tourists and a source of pride for locals.
After a day full of sightseeing, what could be a more British experience than sitting down in the lap of luxury for afternoon tea? Enjoy some delicate sandwiches, warm scones (jam first, cream on top and yes, I will die on this hill), cakes and pastries with a selection of tea choices, or perhaps some bubbles to toast the experience.
If you’re looking to add a bit of theatre to your fine dining, a few London venues collaborate with West End shows to offer themed afternoon tea experiences – with musicals from Phantom of the Opera to Wicked teaming up with nearby hotels to serve up tasty treats linked to their stories and characters.
Now, there’s a new afternoon tea in town. And this one is themed around Operation Mincemeat, the brilliant musical based on the true story of a military operation that changed the course of World War II.
A World War II themed afternoon tea? Wartime rations? That doesn’t sound very appetising. Powdered egg, limited sugar, but plenty of offal! Think again. This afternoon tea is an absolute treat for the eyes and for the tastebuds.
I went along to the stunning Raffles London at the Old War Rooms to enjoy this luxurious experience, alongside three of Operation Mincemeat’s insanely talented writers and original cast, David Cumning, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts.
The Drawing Room overlooks Whitehall, and in the late afternoon on a glorious Spring day, the sun cast a shining light on our opulent surroundings. With a pianist playing classic tunes from the 40s in the background, we were able to fully take in the stylish décor, with plenty of reminders of the venue’s key role in our history.
This tea is served directly above the rooms that housed MI5 and MI6 officers during the war, the very place from which Operation Mincemeat was planned and executed. It absolutely oozes history and it’s not hard to imagine the show’s colourful characters, particularly one Ewan Montague, pacing the corridors.
So, this unique afternoon tea pays homage to the secret mission. At its heart is a spectacular array of cakes and pastries inspired by Operation Mincemeat. The team responsible for creating them went along to the show as part of their research, and these stunning treats are the result.
The display is topped with a showstopping chocolate covered briefcase of the style that would include the top secret documents carried by officers at the heart of the mission. It has notes of coffee, barley, malt and roasted grains to invoke wartime staples.
Next we have an aircraft propeller to represent the fictional ‘Major William Martin’ and the carefully constructed story of his tragic plane crash. Italian flavours of basil, lemon and olive oil pay tribute to Sicily, the true target of the allied invasion that Operation Mincemeat helped to conceal.
A cake shaped like the submarine HMS Seraph, which made “the delivery” to the Spanish coast, has flavours that acknowledge Spain’s role in the Mission.
Communication strategy is honoured by a very indulgent cake shaped like a rotary telephone, pairing smoked dark chocolate with British whiskey. This was my personal favourite – a gooey taste of heaven!
And finally, the story is completed with a love letter cake, referencing our Major Martin’s fictional fiancée, whose letters were written to make his life seem believable – captured on stage in the emotional song “Dear Bill”.
Your sandwiches and pastries come with a variety of tea choices, specially curated and brewed for this themed experience, including The Churchill, inspired by Winston Churchill’s favourite tea.
During a conversation, Mincemeat’s writers were asked when they realised they had a huge hit on their hands. Zoe Roberts didn’t hesitate to answer:
“Standing here with telephone shaped cakes feels like a real moment in time to go ‘What’s happened?!’ We didn’t sit down in 2018 and say “Guys, do you know what would be great? How do we get high tea based on our next show? It’s insanity!”
The original cast members have just got back from New York, where they opened the show on Broadway. In possibly the most British environment imaginable, I asked them what British food or luxury they missed the most while they were across the pond:
Natasha: “Tea, the tea out there sucks, it’s absolutely dreadful! I coerced friends and family into bringing me tea in their hand luggage. The Americans really don’t know what they’re doing, it’s a mess out there!”
David: “Chocolate, what they have out there they call chocolate, but it’s not chocolate, it’s plastic!”
Natasha: “The reason they keep starting wars is because the chocolate is so bad!”
Zoe: “This feels like a really obvious answer but I’m a marmite girl, it was in my luggage, I was smuggling it right in every single day. To spread on terrible, TERRIBLE bread as they can’t make bread either … (whispers) we love you USA!”
The cast of five play 86 characters between them during the show. I wondered which one they’d invite to join them for this very special afternoon tea.
Zoe: “I think maybe I’d bring Haselden. The character is a hapless operative, retired to Spain to play golf and drink sangria and enjoy the sun but then he got drafted in to help in the British Consulate when war broke out. We play him as disgustingly sweaty and desperate to do a wonderful job but terrible at it. He’s having an awful time, so I think I’d like to bring him here and say ‘Buddy, it’s all gonna be OK, eventually they’ll make telephone shaped cakes!”
Natasha: “It’s going to have to be Montagu. He’s so fun and cool but he’s a nightmare, the most confident man you’ve ever met. Before we started the show, I’d be sitting there alone in the dark with my legs up on the desk and any time I felt nervous I would imagine Montagu being there saying ‘This is my legacy, I’m amazing, you’ve got to be amazing or just get out of the room’ and it really helped me. So, shoving a cake into that man’s face would be very enjoyable!”
David: “I would love to say Charles Cholmondeley the character I played, the brains behind the mission, but I think he’d be an extremely awkward guest so I’m going to say Jean. She’s the young upstart secretary who wants to work her way up through the ranks, she’s a very intelligent woman. She’d be a great guest, so lovely, fun and cool, and you could get her on the champagne and she’d be throwing shade on the other guests!”
So why not enjoy afternoon tea at Raffles London at the OWO before heading off to see the fabulous London production of Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre? It promises a truly British experience – secrets, spies, a show and a VERY tasty surprise. God that’s brilliant!
To find out more about the Secrets & Spies Afternoon Tea at Raffles London, head over to their website. For further information on Operation Mincemeat here.
