Riot of Colour Afternoon Tea at Harvey Nichols: Virtually Guilt-Free!

Modern eating habits are whack. You can no longer have a dinner party without checking who is off wheat or dairy or sugar that month. And I can hardly talk: in the run up to Christmas last year I did a detox that cut out all of the above - and I'm thinking about doing it again.

But that doesn't mean life has to be boring. As part of that detox I ate a delicious, detox-friendly meal in the Rustic Stone - polenta chips, fillet steak, organic wine, sugar and gluten free cake  - and wondered why more brands don't properly cater for these new dietary trends. 

Step up Harvey Nichols and their new food range, Riot of Colour. They're calling it fashionable food; food that reflects modern lifestyles and desires. Comprising both sweet and savoury the range includes 80 products that have been designed with our wellbeing in mind. Agave syrup (the Rustic Stone's sweetener of choice), dark chocolate rice cakes, gluten free biscuits, avocado and coconut oils are all on offer, as are a range of delicious sounding tea blends.

Cheers!

To celebrate the new collection, the brasserie is serving the Riot of Colour Afternoon Tea till the end of October. Featuring gluten, dairy and reduced sugar treats, the menu is described as 'almost guilt-free' - but tastes as sinfully indulgent as all good afternoon teas should. 

My mum and I were thrilled to be invited to try out the treats: we happily munched our way through such delights as carrot and coconut cake with coconut oil frosting (dairy free), orange, polenta and acacia honey cake (gluten and dairy free) and, my favourite, hibiscus and rose tea scented macarons (gluten free). Finger sandwiches, homemade scones (with reduced sugar Riot of Colour jams) and your choice of the Riot of Colour Teas are also included.

The flavours were light, fresh and delicious, and we felt smug to be stuffing our faces with a little less guilt. We'd love to see this remain on the menu, once October is out.

The Riot of Colour Afternoon Tea is €22.50 per person, €27.50 per person with a box of take-home tea or €30 with a glass of Harvey Nichols Champagne. To book call 01 2910488; the Riot of Colour food range is available now in the Foodmarket, priced between €2.95 and €29.95.

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