It is a truth universally acknowledged that afternoon tea is eaten during the afternoon. It’s been that way since the 1840s, when a particularly famished duchess (Anna, of Bedford) decided she couldn’t possibly survive until dinner without a tray of sandwiches and cakes.

But artisan baker Lily Vanilli (real name, Lily Jones) isn’t interested in following Victorian etiquette. She wants to revolutionise afternoon tea entirely – and that means throwing tradition out of the window.

‘I’ve always wanted to reinvent afternoon tea,’ she says, as we chat over Zoom a couple of weeks before her new afternoon tea experience launches at Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge. ‘I think where we’re at with afternoon tea needed shaking up. It’s all a bit dull and a kind of pantomime of the past, so I wanted to make an afternoon tea designed for a modern palate and modern tastes that still retained that aspect of decadence.’

She’s serving her take on afternoon tea in the hotel’s grandiose Rotunda Bar and Lounge. By day there will be cakes, scones and savoury bites, but as the sun sets, the lights will dim, the DJs will kick in and tea will be swapped for a flight of mini cocktails – including a champagne and cacao Lily Royale.

But just how do you take on a time-old tradition – and what inspired her to do so? We dug into all that (and discovered she’s more of a savoury than sweet tooth) when we grabbed five minutes with Lily.

What can you tell us about your new afternoon tea concept?

It’s for people who live in London, who might book a traditional afternoon tea once every couple of years for a special occasion but wouldn’t realistically go there to hang out. I wanted the concept to be like how you’d go to your favourite restaurant multiple times a year, both for dinner with your friends and for special occasions.

Our plan is to also do a stripped-back version, so you can even go after dinner and have the dessert experience without going the full afternoon tea hog – like bar snacks, but cake. In my mind, afternoon tea should be a drinking thing, somewhere you hang out and you’re there for the evening, rather than sitting down to this intense “stuffing yourself” session with tea.

Where did the inspiration come from?

I feel like I’ve always been working towards this. I’ve done three previous afternoon teas, one in China, one in partnership with Xu and then my last tea, which is just coming to a close, with the Theatre Royal. The Four Seasons has been very gracious in letting me finally realise my dream, which is an afternoon tea that runs into the evening. I’m definitely drawing on the traditional aspect of afternoon tea throughout history, but only in the sense of it being a fabulous occasion that you dress up for, and it’s decadent and all about cake and booze. It’s a mix of allegiance to history and designing something for a modern palate.

What kind of afternoon teas have you been to before?

The bad thing is, I really haven’t been to that many because it seemed fusty and boring. I like vibes; I love good food, but I’m interested in going to restaurants where the vibes are. It needs to be a fun hang, especially if you’re doing something so decadent. It’s why I became a baker. I thought, if you’re going to do something so decadent as eat cake, it might as well be really perfect. I love the idea of afternoon tea, but I was never really drawn to it, so I made my own.

You’ve made so many cool cakes over the years that are beloved by the likes of Charli XCX, King Charles, Elton John and Nigella Lawson… Where do you get your ideas from?

I’ve been doing this for a really long time, and I love it. It’s a creative outlet. So, I’m always interested in doing something different and new. I think if you’re passionate about something, you find inspiration absolutely everywhere – in the work of your peers, in history…

What’s your favourite and least favourite types of cake?

I like my vanilla sponge, which is boring, but it was the hardest to perfect. It’s very gravity-defying, light and fluffy. When they’re in season, I really like English currants as well. There isn’t really anything I don’t like.

Dream dinner-party guest?

Dolly Parton. I feel like she knows how to live life. She’s a bon vivant. She’d be full of stories. I’d like to hang out with her.

London by Lily Vanilli afternoon tea is available every Thursday to Sunday from 2pm to 7pm at Four Seasons Hotel London Tower Bridge. Book your table here.