Artful and Delicious

Afternoon teas have been on the rise as a form of licensed experience. They are often tied to properties such as British literary characters and anime, luxury fashion and lifestyle brands, and celebrity chefs and bakers, although other types of IPs are involved as well. 

Another growing source of inspiration for licensed teas over the past few years has been artists and museums. These sorts of properties offer abundant inspiration for room décor, table settings, photo opps, and activities and demonstrations, not to mention intricate and luxurious pastries, savory treats, warm and cold beverages, and cocktails. The food and drink are typically designed to reflect the look of particular artworks, as well as incorporating ingredients reflective of the artist’s culture and time period. 

A few of several examples from around the world: 

• This month, the Fairmont Hotel in Singapore and its Anti:dote bar launched their latest Season of Impressionists event, called Into the Modern: An Impressionist Afternoon Tea, in collaboration with National Gallery Singapore and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and their licensing agent in the region, Artistory. The tea is based on the National Gallery exhibition Into the Modern: Impressionism from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and includes treats inspired by Monet, Renoir, Manet, Cézanne, and Degas. The hotel previously worked with the National Gallery, London, again through Artistory, in 2023, for similar experiences, including a sunflower-themed tea inspired by the works of Vincent Van Gogh and a waterlilies-themed tea based on the works of Claude Monet. 

• In August of this year, The Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi paired with the National Museum of Western Art, Tokyo for an afternoon tea featuring treats inspired by some of the 70 master works on loan from Paris’ Orsay museum for an exhibition of impressionist art. The range of autumnal treats highlighted at the tea reflected the sensibility of artists such as Renoir, Monet, Fantin-Latour, Caillebotte, and Bartholomé, and included foods popular with artists and their patrons in France at the time the impressionists were at work. Customers were given a gift coaster to take home.

• Pullman Singapore Hill Street and its Madison’s restaurant paired with the Alphonse Mucha Museum in 2024 to create an Artistry in Time Afternoon Tea. All of the elements, from the wall art and menu, to the placemats and table settings, to the cocktails and mocktails, were inspired by the work of Czech Art Nouveau painter Alphonse Maria Mucha. Mucha merchandise such as postcards and device covers were available for sale. 

• The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver and its Notch8 restaurant hosted an afternoon tea inspired by the art of Emily Carr, also in 2024. The artist’s work was being exhibited at the Vancouver Art Gallery at the time in an exhibition called Emily Carr: A Room of Her Own. The forest-themed experience took its cues from the British Columbia-based early 20th century painter, known for her modernist landscapes. Guests at the tea received a 10%-off coupon for a visit to the gallery.

• W London partnered with Lois O’Hara, an artist based in Brighton, England, in 2023 for a traditional afternoon tea featuring five different desserts created with O’Hara, dubbed Zen, Clear Mind, Nature, Connect, and Creativity, each capturing the essence of her art, along with other savory and sweet treats. A curated cocktail was also part of the experience. The tableware included cake stands and limited-edition plates designed by O’Hara. 

• Back in 2020, the Grand Hyatt Hotel Tokyo teamed directly with the artist Takashi Murakami for an afternoon tea themed to his work, specifically his well-known flowers. The event was timed to the STARS Exhibition: Contemporary Art Stars — From Japan to the World, at the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo’s Roppongi Hills development, where the Grand Hyatt is also located. The theme continued beyond the tea to include treats at the hotel’s French Kitchen restaurant and its Fiorentina Pastry Boutique. 

Several luxury hotels, such as The Silo in Capetown, The Merrion in Dublin, and the Four Seasons in Boston, among many others, have created afternoon teas that similarly celebrate artists, museums, and exhibitions, but without a partnership in place. The Rosewood London has held a series of Art Afternoon Teas in its Mirror Room since 2017, with the latest being a Hokusai-inspired experience earlier this year. Other artists to which the hotel has paid homage over the past eight years have included John Booth, Yayoi Kusama, Mark Rothko, David Hockney, Alexander Calder, and Banksy, among others. The themes are often inspired by a gallery exhibition ongoing at the time, but are not collaborations with the artist, estate, gallery, or museum. 

That said, official pairings such as those cited in the list above, and others, are becoming more frequent, as museums and their luxury hotel partners look to offer their patrons unique and memorable experiences that shine a positive light on both of their brands, as well as generating publicity and some ancillary revenue.