National Cream Tea Day
Celebrate National Cream Day this Friday 30th June.
Both our garden centre cafes serve delicious cream teas throughout the year and today at our 1925 Kitchen (Sidmouth Road, Clyst St Mary, EX5 1AE) you can enjoy a fruit or plain scone, served with clotted cream and fruit preserve along with either tea or coffee for
only £4.25
The history of the cream tea
The exact origin of "cream tea" is disputed but there is evidence suggesting that the tradition of eating bread with cream and jam already existed at Tavistock Abbey in the 11th century.
The Duchess of Bedford made afternoon tea fashionable in the late 1700's/early 1800's. Tiring of the long wait between lunch and dinner she would order tea and treats to her room when peckish. This soon evolved into full on gowns-and-all social affair, inviting friends to join her in her country house.
By the middle of the 19th century, afternoon tea was an every day occurrence; a spread of sandwiches, cakes, scones cream and jam – the first hint of cream teas as we know them today.
Cream tea
The cream tea tradition definitely began in the Westcountry. With Brunel building the railway it opened up the tourism market and visitors would travel to the south as they do today. Tea rooms everywhere offering delicious afternoon cream teas, made with the finest local ingredients, like ours today. Always served with strawberry jam and clotted cream.
The Cornwall Devon divide
Cream then jam, or jam then cream? It’s the difference between the Cornish and the Devonshire cream tea and the cause of much controversy. Of course we are devonshire so we highly recommend you place the cream first and then the jam. After all, with toast you wouldn't put the butter on after the jam would you?
However you take your cream tea, enjoy National Cream Tea Day.
