Cream tea

2025-09-01T20:45:08Z

2607:FEA8:341E:EE00:447A:5AFA:CF44:33DA:

{{Short description|English afternoon snack}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2015}}
{{Infobox food
| name = Cream tea
| image = [[File:Devonshire tea.jpg|frameless|upright=1.1]]
| caption = A cream tea from [[Devon]], comprising [[tea]] taken with [[scone]]s, [[clotted cream]] and [[jam]].
| alternate_name = Devonshire tea, Cornish cream tea
| country = England
| region = [[South West England]]
| creator =
| course =
| served = Tea: hot<br />Scones: warm<br />Jam & cream: [[Ambient temperature|ambient]]
| main_ingredient = [[Tea]], [[scones]], [[clotted cream]], [[Jam|strawberry jam]]
| variations = Multiple
| calories = High
| other =
}}
[[File:Scones.JPG|thumb|An example of scones prepared according to the "Cornwall method".]]
[[File:Cornish cream tea 2.jpg|thumb|A cream tea in [[Boscastle]], [[Cornwall]], prepared according to the "Devon method".]]
A '''cream tea''' (also known as a '''Devon cream tea''', '''Devonshire tea''',<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171201042148/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/devonshire_tea "Devonshire tea", ''OxfordDictionaries.com'']. Retrieved 19 November 2017</ref> or '''Cornish cream tea''')<ref name="nytimes">{{cite news
|title=BRITAIN'S BEST AT TEATIME
|date=5 September 1982
|author=Salmans, Sandra
|work=[[The New York Times]]
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/05/travel/britain-s-best-at-teatime.html
|access-date=28 January 2007
}}</ref> is an [[Tea (meal)|afternoon tea]] consisting of [[tea]], [[scone]]s, [[clotted cream]] (or, less authentically, whipped cream), [[jam]], and sometimes butter. Cream teas are sold in [[Tea house|tea rooms]] throughout England, especially [[Devon]] and [[Cornwall]], and in some other parts of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]].

== History ==
The origin of the cream tea is disputed, although there is evidence to suggest that the tradition of eating bread with cream and jam existed at [[Tavistock Abbey]] in Devon in the 11th century.<ref>{{cite news
|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/devon/news_features/2004/tavistock_cream_tea.shtml
|access-date=28 January 2007
|title= Were cream teas 'invented' in Tavistock?
|date=17 January 2004
|work=[[BBC News]]
}}</ref> The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' reports the earliest use of "cream tea" in the sense of the afternoon tea, as opposed to a cup of tea with cream in it, is in the 1964 novel ''Picture of Millie'' by [[P. M. Hubbard|Philip Maitland Hubbard]], "We just bathe and moon about and eat cream teas." However, the "Foods of England" website has discovered an earlier newspaper cutting, ''[[The Cornishman (newspaper)|The Cornishman]]'' of Thursday, 3 September 1931 (p. 8), which uses the phrase in what appears to be its modern sense: "For an alleged Cornish cream tea consisting of three slices of bread and butter, a splashing of cream and jam and two anemic rolls, I was charged 1s. 6d."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.foodsofengland.info/creamtea.html|title=The Foods of England - Cream Tea|website=www.foodsofengland.info}}</ref>

== Variations ==
There are regional variations as to how a cream tea should preferably be eaten.
*The [[Devon]]ian, or Devonshire, method is to split the scone in two, cover each half with [[clotted cream]], and then add strawberry jam on top. The Devon method is also commonly used in neighbouring counties.
*With the [[Cornwall|Cornish]] method, the warm 'split' or a 'scone' is first split in two, then spread with strawberry jam, and finally topped with a spoonful of clotted cream. This method is also used elsewhere, notably in [[London]].<ref>{{cite news|title=BBC News Article|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8694000/8694384.stm|website=BBC News|date=9 June 2010|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=27 August 2017}}</ref>

Although these distinctions on whether to apply the jam or the clotted cream to the scone first are still claimed by many, cream teas are served and enjoyed both cream first and jam first throughout both counties.

Scones are rarely buttered in commercially available teas. Traditionally it is important that the scones be warm (ideally, freshly baked), and that clotted (rather than whipped) cream and strawberry jam, rather than any other variety, be used. Butter is generally not included, and some sources advise that the tea should not be served with milk.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A649235|title=h2g2 – Cream Teas – Edited Entry|author=Not Panicking Ltd|date=20 October 2015|work=bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

In Cornwall an alternative was traditionally a "split", a type of slightly sweet white [[bread roll]], rather than a scone.<ref>{{cite news|title=Cornwall: a clean break|author=O'Brien, Harriet|date=8 July 2006|work=[[The Independent]]|location=London|url=http://travel.independent.co.uk/uk/article1165586.ece|access-date=28 January 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006213114/http://travel.independent.co.uk/uk/article1165586.ece|archive-date=6 October 2006|df=dmy-all}}</ref> It is now rare to find this available commercially, even in Cornwall, but splits are still used by many Cornish families in their own homes.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Maltwood |first=Hannah |date=2018-03-14 |title=Everything to know about the Cornish split, the original cream tea accompaniment |url=https://www.cornwalllive.com/whats-on/food-drink/cornish-split-original-cream-tea-1336003 |access-date=2022-03-10 |website=CornwallLive |language=en}}</ref> In [[Devon]], an alternative to the scone found occasionally is the "Devon split" or "Chudleigh", lighter than a scone and smaller than a Cornish split.<ref>[http://www.missfoodwise.com/2013/04/cornish-splits-some-very-exciting-news-and-a-thank-you.html/"Cornish Splits, some very exciting news and a thank-you", ''Regula Ysewijn'', 16 April 2013]. Retrieved 23 May 2017</ref>

Another variation to a cream tea is called "Thunder and Lightning", which consists of a round of bread or a Cornish split, topped with clotted cream and [[honey]] or [[golden syrup]].<ref name="nytimes" />

Yet another variation is a "savoury cream tea", with cheese scones; cream cheese instead of clotted cream, and chutney instead of jam.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.greatbritishchefs.com/recipes/cheese-and-chive-scones-recipe|title = Cheese and Chive Scones Recipe - Great British Chefs}}</ref>

== Protected status ==
In May 2010, a campaign was launched at the [[Devon County Show]] to have the name "Devon cream tea" protected within the [[European Union]] under [[Geographical indications and traditional specialities (EU)|Protected Designation of Origin]] (PDO) rules. The campaign was launched following discussion on [[BBC Radio Devon]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Devon cream teas could get EU protected status |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/8692662.stm |access-date=6 January 2015|work=[[BBC News]] |date=19 May 2010}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Cornwall|Devon}}
* [[Afternoon tea#Afternoon tea|Afternoon tea]]
* [[Tea party]]
* [[Tea sandwich]]
* [[Cuisine of Devon]]
* [[Cornish cuisine]]

== References ==
{{Reflist|40em}}

== Further reading ==
* {{cite news |title=It's scone wrong |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/poll/2010/may/20/cream-tea-scone-clotted-cream |first=Susan |last=Smillie |date=20 May 2010 |access-date=26 April 2011}}
* {{cite news |title=Jam or cream first? The great scone debate … |first=Terry |last=Kirby |date=6 November 2009 |access-date=26 April 2011 |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/jam-or-cream-first-the-great-scone-debate-6720627.html |newspaper=[[London Evening Standard]]}}
* {{cite news |title=How do you take your cream tea? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/cornwall/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8694000/8694384.stm |publisher=[[BBC Radio Cornwall]] |date=9 June 2010 |access-date=26 April 2011}}
* {{cite magazine |title=Origins of the Devon Cream Tea | url=https://tastebudsmagazine.co.uk/feature/origins-of-the-devon-cream-tea/ | first=Paul | last=Cleave | magazine=Taste Buds magazine | publisher=We Make Magazines Ltd | date=2019-08-20}}
* {{cite news |title=The History of The Cornish Cream Tea |url=https://orangeroofs.co.uk/the-history-of-the-cornish-cream-tea/ |publisher=Orange Roofs Cornwall Ltd |date=28 July 2022}}

{{European topic|| cuisine}}
{{Culture of Cornwall}}

[[Category:English cuisine]]
[[Category:Tea culture]]
[[Category:Tea in the United Kingdom]]

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Cream tea