After i had done 2 Harry Potter themed Afternoon Teas, one set in Hogwarts, the other on platform 9 tea quarters( proud on that name i came up with) i turned my attention to the wizarding world sweet shop.

I had the idea down as a possibility, not knowing where to go with it. When i started getting the teaware and props together, it started to come together. I did some research into wizarding world sweets. As well as getting some sweets from Universal studios Hollywood, when we was out there on vacation earlier this year in June. The more well known ones like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Botts beans to fizzing whizzbees and Glacial Snowflakes.

For the Tea i used the sweets themselves and centered the dishes around them, or taking the essential flavours and turning them into something else. Jotting down many ideas and having to rein them back as to not have too many. I settled on:

Butterbeer Blondies, Chocoball whoopie pies, Caudron cakes with firewhiskey Buttercream

  • Butterbeer Blondies – With Butterscotch chocolate pieces inside
  • Chocoball whoopie pies filled with Clotted cream Strawberry Mousse
  • Cauldron cakes chocolate with Firewhiskey Buttercream Flames
  • Ice Mice Eclairs filled with chantilly cream and White Chocolate Peppermint Ganache & a white chocolate Mouse on top.
  • Lemon sherbert Scones
  • Curry Pumpkin pasties from the trolley – Curry Pumpkin filling
  • Slughorns Crystalised Pineapple Cake – Upside down Cake made with Crystalised Pineapple pieces
  • Jelly Slugs & Bean Tiffin bars
  • Potted Butterbeer cream like a baked custard served in a Glass mini Jar.
  • Assorted Sandwiches Roast Beef etc

The tableware theme was Pink white stripe and like a Turquoise/Jade Green colour. This was the colour in Honeydukes shop in Universal Studios and seen on the packets and merch. Finding Pink/white stripe plates was hard and had to settle for disposable ones in the end. Pink and Green Teapots, Cutlery and under plates. The Tablecloth was also Pink/White striped. Overall i was happy with how it turned out. I also luckily spotted a great backdrop on Aliexpress with the Honeydukes shop frontage, which helped set the scene and some generic Harry potteresque music in the background, as always it is filmed live via my fb and usually is around 1hour or so.

Years ago i had seen Pink/White striped Teacups in the pound shop £3 each, i got the Blue/White ones but not the pink, thinking what would i use them for. Instant Regret !! They would have been perfect for this!

I spotted 2 on ebay and got one, for not too much more, the other was like £15 so forget that. I then stumbled upon some footed mugs from H&M just released. The timing was perfect so got them.

Morale of the story if you see something you like and can afford buy it!!

The addition of the sweet packet boxes also added an extra something. Of course anything Hp is expensive the sweets were $8-9 a pack. The Glass jars i was lucky to find on ebay from a few sellers for not too bad a price. I made some chocolate Frogs from the mould i had got earlier and popped them into the Jar. With some Sherbert Lemons, Jelly slugs etc. I also whilst browsing stumbled upon a listing of empty Sweet Honeydukes boxes, some i had most i didn’t so bid and got them for an absolute bargain. Came just in time for the Tea and for me to display.

The food!

I was mostly happy with how everything came out, i think their is always room fro improvement on concept and execution. Coming up with multiple items which are not too heavy and light to have as part of an assortment is sometimes tricky also. Too heavy and stodgy and prevents having multiple small items. Of course when you have mad something up, their is no guide to how it goes but to go with the flow. I think the different colours and textures complimented the stands. Some sweets just had a vague description but no photo, so had to imagine the rest.

For the Tea i had some sweet shop flavoured ones, as well as Original plain to go along with the sweetshop theme.

Sweets/Drinks Represented in the Tea

  • Fizzing whizzbees
  • Caramel Cobwebs – white chocolate toffee flavour discs
  • Bertie Botts beans
  • Jelly Slugs
  • Fudge Flies – fly shaped toffee milk chocolate
  • Exploding Bonbons White chocolate tropical truffles with popping candy
  • Butterbeer
  • Ice mice to make your teeth chatter
  • Tooth splintering mints – really small Mints not that strong tbh
  • Chocolate Frog
  • Choco Balls

At the end i always take photos on the backdrop, and they always come out so well. I have got quite a few great ones from Aliexpress and Temu recently and they really make it. Especially when i use my DSLR Nikon camera they really pop!! I have managed to get Backdrops for most of my Teas and upcoming ones. They are also great for ones when we are in costume. For this i just wore a Pink/White stripe Shirt almost like i was working at the Candystore as a clerk.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Their are always changes to be made on reflection and being a bit of a perfectionist. Sometimes when you take a shortcut with ingredients, you can tell like with the pasty pastry and Box cake for the Pineapple Cake and Scones. These were by no means bad, but better if they were all scratchmade. The potted Butterbeer custard was not entirely keen on that recipe. Maybe try another one.

I have unused ideas i could possibly return for another one, and also the endless idea of playing around with the sweet ideas/ flavours in different dessert types. we`ll see!