MANILA, Philippines — The Writers Bar at Raffles Makati is known for a lot of experiences — famous authors and world dignitaries have sat down here for discussions over the years.
Well, from Sept. 20 to Nov. 20, there’s some new tea to spill: Writers Bar hosts “Singapore Airlines Cafe at the Writers Bar” an exclusive travel-themed afternoon tea experience in partnership with Raffles Makati and Mastercard.
The place is now decorated with globes, travel trunks and souvenirs, not to mention samovars and boxes of Sky Blossom Tea, an exclusive blend created by TWG and Singapore Airlines.
For this “Teatime Experience Around the World,” guests got to dive into afternoon tea — complete with tiered delights prepared by chef Daniel Guevara Quintero — as they heard about the new promo: Raffles customers who purchased an SIA ticket with their Mastercard debit or credit card during the promotion period can enjoy 50% off the afternoon tea set (full price at P3,200++) when they pay for their culinary experience with a Mastercard card. KrisFlyer members may also choose to redeem the afternoon tea experience for two with 7,500 KrisFlyer miles. New and existing KrisFlyer members who have not purchased an SIA ticket during the promotional period can also enjoy the experience at P3,200++ using a Mastercard card.
That’s half off a menu that includes free-flowing TWG tea plus a unique opportunity to savor global flavors inspired by destinations in SIA’s extensive network. The day’s carefully curated menu featured spicy roasted duck salad with homemade sambal sauce, foie gras parfait on brioche, Belgian hazelnut praline crunch, Australian lamingtons, and Manhattan-style blueberry cream cheese scones. There were citron macarons from Paris, and S’more cronuts from New York, not to mention classic blueberry and cheese scones with fresh cream, all available in tea service daily from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. until Nov. 20, 2024.
Honored guest Singapore Ambassador to the Philippines Constance See spoke of food as a universal language. “It brings people together in a way that transcends borders and cultures… Each time we try a different cuisine, we are also experiencing a different heritage, different traditions. Today’s afternoon tea is exactly that: inspired by Singapore Airlines’ extensive network of destinations. The spread we are about to enjoy will let us taste and explore the world in a unique, delicious way.” Fitting, as this year celebrates 55 years of Singapore-Philippine relations: “Most importantly, our people-to-people ties have flourished. Travel, of course, has played an important role in the flow and exchange of ideas, people and culture.”
Singapore Airlines Philippines general manager Liwei Tai tied SIA’s “careful attention to detail” to the curated teatime experience at the Writers Bar. “These are dishes curated with the same excellence and intention to detail that you have come to expect from Singapore Airlines. We’re very excited to be able to partner with Raffles Makati and Mastercard in bringing this vision to life.”
Added Raffles & Fairmont Makati Cluster hotel manager Aubrey Ada: “Our Raffles tagline long before, and even until now, is ‘The Oasis for the Well-Traveled.’ So what a perfect collaboration this is.”
Mastercard Philippines country manager Simon Calasanz noted that “in the past year, we’ve observed at Mastercard that people have been creating unique experiences more and more and prioritizing spending on these special moments over material things when traveling. For example, in the latest travel report of the Mastercard Economic Institute, we found that 12% of tourism sales are spent on experience-related spending categories, the highest point in the past five years. Gastronomic experiences are one of the key passion points that we want to connect to our cardholders as they enrich people’s exploration of culture through taste and serve as memorable bonding moments for everybody’s loved ones.”
He added: “This specially curated afternoon tea experience will bring Mastercard cardholders — and their loved ones — on an exploration around the world through food, elevating their culinary experience and creating truly unforgettable memories for them.”
Writers Bar is already an “oasis” in Raffles Makati for the well-traveled, and this special menu of global delights and TWG teas makes it even more enriching.
Additionally, every afternoon tea experience purchase or KrisFlyer Experiences redemption enters customers into an e-raffle for a chance to win attractive prizes such as deluxe overnight stays at Fairmont Makati, as well as the grand prize of a pair of round-trip Singapore Airlines business class tickets to Singapore with a luxurious two-night stay at Raffles Singapore.
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For more information about the teatime experience and promotions, please visit the SIA Cafe and KrisFlyer Experiences websites.