A {Cuppa} For CANSA

There is such a wonderful life-affirming energy that comes about when ones passions marry with a cause that is close to the heart. Last weekend, niQi Living Luxe co-ordinated a high tea as part of the Host A Cuppa campaign; a nationwide drive by Le Creuset and CANSA to raise awareness and funding for cancer support.

Each of the guests contributed a donation to benefit CANSA and their work, and the phenomenal generosity of these ladies helped raise  R10 000!

niQi put together a tableau that represented her theme for the afternoon; Surrounded By Inspiration. Instead of a traditional centrepiece, niQi envisioned something more conversational. Working with Pollen Living Art, she conceptualised a floral arrangement that symbolised a bridge; the concept being that one could cross a bridge to overcome whatever challenges might be placed in ones path. Inspirational messages and quotes hung from the flowers, offering food for thought and encouraging guests to consider their own inspirations and aspirations.

The afternoon’s palette was based on pink (an homage to the CANSA and Le Creuset campaign colours) with accents of beautiful coffee tones and soft greens to complement the flowers and table runners. The guests were asked to dress in light summery colours where they could.

The tea-time menu featured traditional High Tea fare, with a cheese board and a very special  french posh-nosh; calissons, as special highlights.

High Tea Menu:

Pecan nut chocolate brownie
Milk chocolate mousse (mille-feuille style) garnished with crystallised celery
Custard cream tartlets with fresh fruit
Mint chocolate truffle
Lemon cheesecake
Ornate almond hand-painted sugar cookies
Rosewater sugar encrusted madeline’s
Mini vanilla cupcakes with raspberry & madagascan vanilla frosting
Calissons
Butter scones served with whipped cream and strawberries, with grated gouda on the side
Tomato, mushroom and cheddar tarts

If it’s your first time trying out a cheese board, don’t invest in an expensive one. Gauge your guests’ response and then consider the expense. However, there are ways to present the cheeses and their accoutrements by using objects you already have. niQi used a vintage-look drawer lined with tea-towels as a stand in and the guests were totally charmed by it. Woolworths stocks an extensive range of halaal cheese, taking much of the guess-work out of selecting the right cheeses. A good cheese board plays around with texture and flavour; choose hard and soft cheese and combine sweet and savoury flavours. Try serving one at your next Eid breakfast.

NiQi Cheese Drawer:

Gouda, cream cheese with tomato & herbs,
White rock with cranberries
English cheddar with olives & sun-dried tomatoes
English wensleydale with mango and ginger
Blue rock and duetto dolce with figs and Pecan nuts
Served with red grapes, pears, figs, onion marmalade and a selection of crackers

Summer can get too hot for tea, and guests may prefer cold drinks over warm ones. niQi put out a selection of iced teas, a refreshing cardamom and rose shake and cocktails with Nespresso coffee and warm teas as options.

Tea, however, was still the main attraction and for favours, each guest took home a box with gourmet tea packs and a teapot-shaped sugar cookie sporting a pink ribbon to remind them of the cause they supported.

Vendors:

In Good Company – Table-runners and ceramics hire

Pollen Living Art (0834110422): Flowers

Chef Muhammed Saleh (0823374388):
Pecan nut chocolate brownie
Milk Chocolate mousse (meille-feuile Style) garnished with crystallized celery
Custard cream tartlet with fresh fruits
Mint chocolate truffle

Sadiyah Osman from Sadiyah Osman Celebrations:
Ornate almond handpainted sugar cookies
Rosewater sugar encrusted madelines
Mini vanilla cupcakes with raspberry & madagascan vanilla frosting

Allison Brand, Tinybite: Sugar cookies with CANSA ribbon

Teas: Tea Forte, Mlesna, Five Roses
Coffee: Nespresso
Drinks: Woolworths ruby grapefruit and iced teas

Photography by Ayesha Mayet, Rowena Saloojee and Naqiyah Mayat.

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