For Northern Hemisphere readers, the concept of Christmas in July or “Yulefest” must be an odd one at best. Why would you have Christmas in the middle of the year and why in July? One reason why we Antipodeans celebrate it is because of the weather. As a child I used to watch television shows where Santa would visit children who lived in houses covered with snow and Christmas was a time to feast on warm roasted turkey, potatoes and other delicious warming goodies. Santa never delivered presents to kids wearing shorts and thongs (flip flops, not G strings!) and as such I always yearned for a White Christmas. During December the weather here is so warm that having a Roast Turkey and potatoes during the 40 Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) degree temperatures seems for the hardcore traditionalists and salads and cold seafood feature mostly on the Australian Christmas dinner table. However July is the coldest month here and as such we can simulate some sort of cold Christmas.
So when Lisa organised a High Tea at the Loft and the theme was Christmas in July I eagerly agreed straight away. I’ve spoken often of my absolute love for Christmas (almost as much as Halloween) so I take any chance to celebrate it. It’s not really freezing cold and it seems nowadays Sydney is often bathed in the warm embrace of sunshine but I’ll also take any excuse for a High Tea. My fellow High Tea-ers were Betty, Helen, Karen, Lisa, Steph and Suze.
For $45, the High Tea with a twist features a teapot cocktail, a selection of sweets and savouries and a pot of tea. We take our time choosing everything as they look pretty tempting. All teapot cocktails are serves for two so we try one of each of the three Christmas in July cocktails: Santa’s Little Helper, Rudolph’s Nose and Silent Night. They arrive in adorable teapots and we ask Betty who is suitably attired for a Christmas in July in a green and red jacket to pour them for us.
The Santa’s Little Helper teapot cocktail has fresh berries crushed with cranberry juice, bourbon and fruit liqueurs balanced with a hint of citrus topped off with a red fruit tea. The bourbon is a bit too strong and medicinal as it’s virtually identical in appearance to the pinky red hued Rudolph’s Nose once poured, we do a lot of sniffing and guessing to try and avoid it.
The Rudolph’s Nose teapot cocktail is delicious and the definite crowd favourite with homemade rhubarb purée and fresh cherry shaken with bison grass vodka and a hint of citrus finished with Turkish apple tea. It’s sweet, with a light dash of alcohol and vodka is always a great choice to avoid clashing with other flavours.
The dark brown shaded Silent Night cocktail was the one that people were dreading the most with a chocolate liqueur combined with Martel VS and a touch of espresso, rounded off with peppermint tea. The flavour is more espresso with a touch of liqueur more that anything else and not really a chocolate peppermint crisp flavour that I was envisaging. Still it’s more palatable than the Santa’s Little Helper.
Sencha Quince Fizz – Lillet shaken with a hint of vanilla, fresh passion fruit pulp, pink grapefruit and chilled T2′s “Sencha Quince” tea
The last teapot cocktail is the Sencha Quince Fizz which is Lillet shaken with a hint of vanilla, fresh passion fruit pulp, pink grapefruit and chilled T2′s “Sencha Quince” tea. It’s sweet and favoured by many however the passionfruit flavour overwhelms most of the other flavours within the teapot cocktail.
When food bloggers attack! Nicely of course…we’re ladies!
The food tiers arrive but of course we must go through the customary ritual and the cameras capture the tiers from every angle. The sandwiches are quite tasty with fresh fillings although the bread is a touch dry on the outside perhaps from sitting uncovered. There is turkey and cranberry, baby prawn and mayonnaise with sprouts, honey roasted leg ham with mustard pickle.
Sandwiches, frittata, chicken and pistachio galantine and baby red peppers stuffed with goat’s cheese
The item that Betty, Karen, Lisa and Steph said was less than spectacular in their regular High Tea offering was the frittata and it is with some relief that they see the frittata flavour is different. It’s a ham and roast onion frittata with lots of sweet caramelised onions (albeit they’re onions that are shaded blue). The petite baby red peppers are stuffed with goat’s cheese and they are a deliciously creamy pop in the mouth morsel and the chicken and pistachio galantine is a cold poached chicken roll which is tender but needs more seasoning.
Scones with strawberry jam and whipped cream and White Christmas rum ball truffles.
Of course the test for any High Tea is the scone and these aren’t bad at all although they’re yet to reach the fluffiness of the QVB Tea Rooms, they’re warm and light in texture. I do love clotted cream though although whipped is probably a healthier option (relatively speaking of course). The white christmas rum ball truffles pack a sweet hit of alcoholic punch.
Clockwise from front left: Traditional mince pies (with star), baked custard tarts with cherry compote and macadamia nut brownie.
We then start on the sweets. The surprise is the Traditional mince pie-it’s absolutely delicious owing to the buttery shortcrust pastry which is so short and shortbread-like and there isn’t too much of the aromatic, spicy sweet mince filling. The same buttery tart case is used for the baked custard tarts with a sour cherry compote which is also very good. The macadamia nut brownie is also not bad with a crispy top although now I’m hitting my satiety point and all I want is a cup of tea. It should be noted that tables are rather squishy here and we would have preferred a bigger table where we could fit around easier.
Our teas arrive and our waitress has thoughtfully noted the excessive camera taking and oohing and aahing over the teapots so she brings out the tea in some pretty teapots. I stick with tradition and go for my favourite, the French Earl Grey which is very fruity and floral and I also try Steph’s Turkish Apple which is a lovely light slightly sour apple and Lisa’s Chai which is milky and aromatic. A nice way to spend the afternoon indeed!
So tell me Dear Reader, are you a cold Christmas kind of person or a warm Christmas kind of person?
And what did you think of Julie winning Masterchef last night?
The Loft
13 Lime St
Sydney New South Wales 2000
Tel: +61 (02) 9299 4770
High Tea is available from 12pm-3pm Weekends. Christmas in July menu is available until the end of July. Bookings essential.
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55 Comments | Add your own
I love High Teas!! I actually had one for my 30th birthday and blogged about it two weeks ago.
This High Tea seems delicious, looks like you had a great time!
I love the little program/menu – such a cute design. Love the names of the cocktails, even if Santa’s Little Helper was a little scary. I am running off with the brownies – they look scrummy!
The teapots are absolutely delightful! And yes, I am a cold kind of Christmas person only because I grew up listening to Christmas carols while sipping hot cocoa and snugged up in thermals.
Ahhh yes Julie winning Masterchef… suffice it to say that there were no cheering involved at the end of the show for me.
I would love to experience at least once in my lifetime a christmas where it is snowing outside. Its definitely on my bucket list.
I thought Julie did an excellent job last night and certainly deserved to win.
So many pretty teapots! Can’t go past a great high tea.
I’m so happy Julie won! She did a great job last night and has really developed her cooking through the competition.
Santa’s little helper was terrible! lol. The fruit mince tarts were lovely, weren’t they? Lol at my tea pouring modelling! It was great to spend the afternoon with you
As someone who grew up on scones with clotted cream, serving them with whipped cream is basically an insult!
It looks like you had a great time though, I’ve got a craving for afternoon tea now!
I have had christmas in California in winter and many in summer here in aus, and I must say I much prefer the aussie summer with fresh prawns and a BBQ!
(I do miss and love the US Halloween and thanksgiving)
I was a little surprised that Julie one, she isn’t really ‘chefy’ enough, I think. But I will be getting her cookbook when it come out… Poh is a winner just as much as Julie is, going to LA with Curtis Stone
Oooh those teapots are divine, Lorraine! So pretty. Cold Christmas is such a treat, but a hot Aussie Christmas just simply feels like home, doesn’t it?
I need more cocktails out of a tea pot!
I’m thrilled that Julie won. She was gracious and humble and I think she has a place in the food industry.
Hi, any excuse to have a HOT Christmas dinner any time of the year. We are actually spending our 1st Christmas in 26years back in the UK this coming December, so looking forward to it.
Cold Christmas gal here, but rarely a white one.
I’m booking in for the last week of July now with my girlfriends. We were tossing up on places but this one looks the best because of the teapot cocktails. Thanks for letting us know.
I love that Julie won. I didn’t like how some people were so vicious about her (on other forums and chats). I thought that was uncalled for and declasse.
oh you got cuter teapots
& the sweets look adorable!
& so cute is Betty’s outfit (well, what i can see of it anyway) hehehe
i think i’d prefer a cold xmas, reason to cuddle up under blankets with hot drinks & lots of winter foods
i will be going here for teapot cocktails! teapots + cocktails = <3′s
What a nice article!
It’s a shame that I often can only drool at all the beutifully photographed and described sweet things, so many in this high tea, because of my borderline diabetes.
But I just love food and sometimes can’t help to sin…same with my high cholesterol..
Was used to cold Christmases but have now accepted Yulefests, especially if it presents another reason to taste-fest!
Poh was simply the better chef last night, but the dramatisation of the program helped obscure it.
Everything looks so pretty! What a nice way to enjoy the afternoon!
hmmm Julie winning? I don’t know about her being ‘masterchef’ but I think her cookbook shall be interesting. I was a tad bit disappointed that Poh didn’t win!
I was very glad to see Julie win last night, she’s been one of my favourites since the beginning of the show. I certainly never disliked Poh though, so I’m not sure why Julie has been subjected to such vitriol by those who hoped Poh would win.
“Poh was simply the better chef last night, biut the dramatisation of the program helped obscure it.”
As for this, I really don’t think Poh WAS the better chef last night.
Gary told Poh that tempering chocolate was more complicated than just melting chocolate, she ignored his advice and did not use the proper tempering technique, and unsurprisingly her chocolate had no snap.
Julie’s chocolate was properly tempered and had spectacular snap, and when the judges gave her advice about her sorbet being too grainy, she took it and made another batch. The judges preferred her sorbet to Poh’s which had probably not been given enough time to set.
Poh also put her chocolate pipe mould in the fridge against the instructions of Matt Moran, Julie didn’t and her chocolate pipe was much better than Poh’s.
The only thing Poh DID do better than Julie last night was the chocolate pastry. Julie led in all challenges and deserved to win last night, whether Poh fans like it or not.
That was a glorious high tea you had there! I am now officially enamored with tea-based cocktails served in teapots, too. (And may I add that I think I can live on scones, honey, and clotted cream?
)
I’ve never had a snowy Christmas; I do live in the tropics, after all. But I prefer a chilly Yuletide rather than a hot one.
Ooh cold Christmas definitely. I want fireplaces, snow, warm mead, roasts and drunken carolling…maybe it’s the Pom in me. Sometimes I find that whole cliche Christmas spirit lacking in Australian. Maybe a healthy dose of snow would help?
Was def a lovely afternoon to spend with you all!
Christmas in July is a nice theme for a tea. Any excuse to eat mince tarts! These ones sound beautiful.
I like looking at pretty food xD They made food for High Tea on MasterChef didn’t they? They’re nice to look at, looks yummy too
I’ve always liked Julie (there’s something that makes her cute, for lack of a better word) but my friends were all like “ooh Poh’s a better cook”, “Julie doesn’t deserve to win” even “it’s rigged! Julie’s going to win because she’ll earn more money” So that just left me confused because part of me thinks I should be agreeing. But Julie DID beat Poh on all three challenges.
What an interesting meal – I’ve never had high tea before. Must try it!
As for Xmas – well I think I like the Aussie summer one…only because I don’t remember too much of Christmases (is that a word?) in the snow. I like being able to go outside and have a BBQ or a picnic.
Masterchef – well I didn’t watch the last few minutes cos I was annoyed that Julie was going to win. It’s a bit unfair that the judges tasted Julies sorbet and gave her a chance to fix it when they didn’t do the same for Poh’s. They shouldn’t really be influencing so heavily what the contestants do. Not very impartial. I’m pretty disappointed with how Masterchef has turned out really.
must be really starange celebrating Christmas in July but even stranger celebrating Christmas on the beach
Nice teapot!
that pic of all the bloggers zooming in with their cameras on the food was a Kodak moment! lol!
It’s still hard for me to believe that it’s WINTER there when I’m sweating like a pig all day!
All of the food looks divine!!!
I would like to savour all of that too! MMMMMMMMMMMMM,…what a georgous place to eat!! Yum Yum Yum!!!
What a great concept of pouring cocktails from a teapot! I love all the little things served on a 3-tiers cake stand. I love christmas in winter… think home alone, think bridget jones turkey buffet
Ohhh this is soo cooool! And christmas (or any occasions really haha) is definitely a good excuse to drink LOL
Even after living in Australia for 5 years, I still can’t really feel that ‘winter chrismas spirit’ to be honest!
Urghh I was not a fan of Santa’s little helper! Bourbon did not work
Hehe it really was a huge relief the frittata was tastier, even if it was a bit blue haha! But it was a lovely afternoon and it was great to catch up with you!
having lived so many years in England, i’m definitely a cold-Christmas lover. England has spoiled me for Christmas now, i’m afraid.
high tea at The Loft looks absolutely fabulous!
I love the idea of cocktails in the teapots as well. I tried the high tea at the loft about 2 years ago and it was only average.
Although other contestants may have been more deserving of a place in the finals, Julie did win the challenges fair and square. There was no innovation in Poh’s chicken dish – the whole dish, including the condiments, were standard malay chinese fare.
The teapots and cocktails look divine! I was thinking of going to the Loft earlier but your photos and recount have sealed the deal for me.
I think Julie deserved to win even though I was on Team Poh. Why she chose to ignore the advice of the judges and the recipe is beyond me but her pastry looked delicious.
The ‘teas’ sound so interesting! And love how they use teapots for them.
We try to adjust ourselves to the hot Christmas every year, we keep saying prawns and salad and fish and icecream pudding BUT how come every year we end up with roast pork and ham and potatoes and turkey?
The frustrating thing about Julie winning isn’t so much about her performance last night, but about her prior failures. Even if she was the better cook last night, she was consistently in the bottom 3 for the entire series, and produced a series of less than good dishes in the final week… undercooked fish, puddle pie, 3 incomplete dishes in one hit… I am more disappointed about her making it to the final than winning it.
i love the teapots! at the moment, debating with myself whether to get the pink polka dotted one cause I’ve seen it on sale for $10
looks like you had a great time at high tea!
Hi Marthe-Happy 30th Birthday! What a fabulous way to celebrate it!
Hi Cakelaw-Funny you mention that-that was Lisa’s handiwork! Yes I thought it would have been nicer given the name
Hi Trisha-They are indeed
Aww I wish I had those kinds of memories! They always seem like the way that Christmas should be 
Aww really? I liked both of them and was happy to see either win. Now if someone I didn’t like was in the final I would have felt differently 
Hi sandra-I’ve had it once but it was in Japan so it wasn’t quite the same as they don’t really do Xmas there. Good idea to put it on your bucket list! Yes Julie really did well last night!
Hi Anita- very true indeed
Yes Julie worked hard and really came far. I was amazed by her chicken dish-that wasn’t home cooking!
Hi Betty-haha it was! And how funny how we couldn’t tell the difference between the yummy Rudolph’s Nose and SLH
Thanks for putting up with us-your jacket was very cute and suited the theme perfectly! It was lots of fun 
Hi Jenny-I know! I can imagine it would be close to heresy serving it to some with whipped cream.
I did have a great time 
Hi tara-I like it but a part of me craves the Winter Christmas. How about alternating year on year?
I’m sure they’ve all done well out of this, thankfully it’s not like Big Brother or other reality shows where people have nowhere to go (unless to Ralph magazine 
)
Hi Kathryn-They are! I know I’d miss it but a few years of a Wintry Christmas wouldn’t go astray?
Hi Fiona-I agree, more should be served out of a teapot!
Hi Sue-Yes she seemed like a really lovely person which counts for a lot! Yes there’s definitely people that will buy her book
Hi Linda-How exciting! And after 26 years too! Have fun!
Hi Bethie-Oh so you like the cold but not a one with snow?
Hi Joanna-Oh fantastic! It’s an unusual concept I have to say and a really nice way to spend an afternoon
Yes what a shame some people had to be like that. I wonder if they would have tut tutted Chris for wishing others to fail!
Hi betty-Did we? Oh they must have a huge range of them
It was such a cute jacket! Yep I like that whole idea. A fireplace would be nice too!
Hi holly-sounds like a great idea!
Hi Multatuli-Thankyou so much! Aww what a shame
Sorry to hear that! It’s hard to resist good food! Ahh it’s hard to say when we can’t taste the food though perhaps? 
Hi Einna-It was lovely!
I think they’ll both do really well out of it which is good as they’re both so different! 
Hi Evie-I’m not sure either. I’m all for barracking for someone but the things that were said were so uncalled for, especially since Julie didn’t really say or do anything that warranted it aside from making it to the final. Yes as soon as I saw that bit I thought “uh oh, this will come back to bit her!”
Hi Midge-It was faaabulous! I could too-in fact I used to have a date scone for lunch every day during uni!
I think it’s great to expreience both. hopefully one day I’ll get to a Nordic country at Christmas where they really do it well.
Hi Karen-hehe you must miss them! I remember Hugh Hefner trucking in snow into the Playboy Mansion. That would have been exciting! It was lots of fun having tea with you
Hi Arwen-I’ve never really like mince tarts but these were fantastic!
Hi Alice-hehe me too!
They did didn’t they! A part of me does think that Julie’s “saleability” had something to do with it but hey I couldn’t taste any of the food and that was what counted! yes she did do well and I think her chicken dish looked more amazing whereas Hainan rice is nice enough but not for a final.
Hi Esz-Oh you must! get your bestest girlfriends together and go
It’s such a different kind of Christmas isn’t it! Thongs and the beach etc. The judge that threw me off was Curtis-I had no idea what he was going to vote as his scores were so low at first!
Hi snooky doodle-Hehe we’re used to it!
Hi Sophia-Haha it’s funny isn’t it!
ol: I know I keep reading about you guys eating frozen yogurt and salads!
Hi Sophie-It was great! I love afternoon teas
Hi Ellie-I have a bit on obsession with tiered cake stands I have to admit
Haha great reference!
Hi Yas-Haha that’s true-it’s the real Christmas tradition
Maybe one day? 
Hi Steph-yes it was baaad!
Yes the blue onions were tasty though! It was great seeing you! 
Hi the projectivist-Yes I’m sure a cold Xmas never leaves you! I can imagine!
having lived so many years in England, I’m definitely a cold-Christmas lover. England has spoiled me for Christmas now, I’m afraid.
Hi ali-It’s a very cool idea
Did they have the teapot cocktails then? Perhaps they’ve improved although the other girls that went to the regular one the week before didn’t really think it was that great! I was disappointed when she said Hainan Chicken rice I have to admit. I was hoping to be blown away.
Hi Clarice-Oh wonderful! well I definitely can recommend the Christmas in July menu although my friends weren’t really impressed by the regular menu so try and go before it finishes if you can
Yes that’s so frustrating when they do that!
Hi Pigpigscorner-Hehe yes it’s an unusual way to serve cocktails!
Hi Moya-aha so you’re a traditionalist! I would love that one year although air conditioning or a sea breeze would have to be involved
Hi Annie-Yes that’s why I was surprised Chris was eliminated as he was very consistent and never got flustered. I think that their prior performance should have counted for something.
Hi Panda-Ooh $10 is a steal. May I ask where? I’d love one too as that was my favourite one!
It was lots of fun 
I just loved the photos of all you ladies, cameras out, ready to attack! I’m a fan of some of the food style events/weekly offerings Bungalow 8 does below, so it doesn’t surprise me that thought to utilise that great space they have up there for high tea. It’s so warm where I am I can barely imagine a Christmas in July!
I was going for Poh, but as she said herself, all the MasterChef finalists are winners in the end, given the exposure and opportunities they’ve gotten from the series. I think Julie’s journey truly reflects the principle of the show in that she has indeed evolved from being a home-cook to a restaurant-cook. You can tell that she has really grown, whereas with Poh, I tend to think she’s remained pretty steady in terms of cooking ability but has just expanded her skills/ideas..
I always wish for a white Xmas too hee hee! Too much Calvin & Hobbes for me haha… High Tea looks great mmmm but you guys so sexist
hee hee jkjk
dainty. that’s the word that comes to mind when I think of high tea, whether it’s regarding the little sandwiches, the dishes, or the cute miniature pastries. just dainty.
Looks like a fun outing! I can’t imagine 104 degree weather in December. Glad you are enjoying a touch of Xmas in July while it is colder. You have the coolest places to dine, always amazed.
This sounds like so much fun! What a gorgeous spread, and those little teapots are just adorable! Merry Christmas in July!
I’m a fan of both the hot and cold Xmas celebrations – the hot Xmas is a chance to put a southern hemisphere spin on classic northern traditions – whereas the Yulefest allows the classics that shouldn’t be tinkered with to be given an airing.
Centerpiece of our Yulefest this year was a 3 foot long chocolate-orange Yule log, filled with chocolate mousse and cointreau soaked sponge.
Have to agree with some of the comments about not quite understanding how Julie made it to the final, but on the night she did well. For me the funniest part of the final was the palpable relief on their faces when they discovered that the latest “most difficult dish ever attempted in this series” was Matt Moran’s, and not another Adriano Zumbo creation!
Imagine the controversy if afternoon tea was marketed as a manly thing to do instead of being one for the girls! Isn’t the whole ethos of feminism being equality instead of merely reversing the prejudice? Just a thought.
Everything looks like fairy tale. the teapots & the servings are so pretty!
nah!Christmas & the eve does not feel right in flip flops.. way better in cuddles & pajamas.I miss the white christmas in Texas:-(
I would love to try the tea cocktail there.. even I am a coffee fan but tea here is adorable ! I gonna book for this Saturday, not sure still have available seats. Should I ask for the balcony seat?
The experience at the loft looks divine! I love the whole little sandwiches, cakes etc whilst sipping away at tea. It is just all so quaint?
OMG those cocktails in a tea pot are to die for! We are adding those to the list for our Nuffnang Christmas party pronto!
Hi Yasmin-Hehe it’s always funny to get those photos
Yes it’s been so long since we visited Bungalow 8 but we really liked it!
Hi Sarah-Yes I’m sure that the top 5 or 6 will get plenty of offers and it wasn’t like a Big Brother show where they’d be notorious afterwards. I was very impressed by Julie’s final dish, it definitely wasn’t home cooking! I’m sure Poh will have lots of new offers and the one from Curtis Stone sounds very cool!
Hi Ffichiban-Yes I don’t think we’ll ever have one here! Hehe you would have had to have 2 or 3 of those I think!
Hi Grace-Yes dainty and ladylike indeed! I love miniatures and their appeal is largely lost on straight men!
Hi Kim-I know, we’re just the totally opposite way around aren’t we!
Aww thankyou! 
Hi Faith-Thankyou so much!
Yes I love a cute little teapot 
Hi Wayfarer-Ahh so doing it this way is good for you!
Oh wow, you really do it in style! 
Haha yes I think the contestants were fearful of another Zumbo creation-I don’t blame them!
Hi gobsmack’d-Hehe a bloke’s afternoon tea! Now that would be something very tough to market but I’d love to see the ads
Hi Soma-They were very cute
Yes I really want to have a white Christmas one year in a country that really does Christmas 
I always thought that Texas was hot but it snows in Christmas?
Hi Ja-Yes I love tea a lot! Yes do ask for one, they’re a bit nicer although they’re mostly along the balcony
Hi clekitty-I know, I love it too! I feel sorry for burly blokey men feeling like they can’t do it
Hi Candice-Aren’t they just!
I’m sure they’ll be a hit.
I live in Western Washington, and around here when I think “Christmas in July” I think of mattress sales- one of the big chains of mattress stores has (had?) a yearly Christmas-themed sale in July.
I like your Christmas way better.
I’ve never experienced a cold December Christmas – I’ve only ever spent my Christmases here in Sydney…so I’m used to the warm Dec 25, I guess. I would love to experience a White christmas though…that’d be awesome! (Although, I would settle for just being in the US in winter…I’m not fussy!)
You know – I’ve never done High Tea! I’ve never been invited to one (time to bring out the violins…hehe)..and I don’t have anyone that I know that would enjoy it as much as I would. Oh well…one day!
Thanks for another great & informative article
Hi anna-LOL it’s not quite the same thing over there is it?
I’ve heard that Christmas in July in the US is mostly a retail related thing 
Hi Liv-Yes I think it’s nice to experience it just the once at least
Awww no, perhaps you can organise one with your friends? They’re so much fun! You’re very welcome! 
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