Devonshire cream teas have been made with cream on the bottom and jam on top ever since their origin in Tavistock Abbey in Devon, where the tradition of eating bread with cream and jam began in the 11th century. This origin of the Cream Tea is disputed by the Cornish who believe the only way to serve a cream tea is with the cream on top.
Historically, there have been more variations between Cornish and Devon cream teas than just whether jam or cream is placed on top. In Cornwall, the cream tea was traditionally served with a "Cornish split", a type of slightly sweet white bread roll, rather than a scone. But nowadays the scones and clotted cream used throughout tearooms in both counties is very similar and therefore the main difference is how you choose to have it.
Devon vs Cornwall cream teas arguments for both -
For Devonshire Cream Teas:
- Cream is like the butter, you wouldn’t put butter on jam.
- It originates from when jam was expensive so you’d just have a bit to put on top.
- You can get more cream on if you load it first!
- It stops you getting cream on your nose. :) (jam on cream lays flatter???).
- If you’re sharing a cream tea with a Cornishman (although unlikely!) you get first dibs on the cream.
For Cornish Cream Teas:
- It’s easier to spread.
- You can taste the cream better on top!
- You wouldn’t put cream on the bottom of a fruit salad.
Personally, I think the great thing about cream teas is that almost everywhere gives you the choice so it shouldn’t be a Devon vs Cornwall debate but the focus should be on fresh locally produced ingredients, and definitely no whipped cream!
Our Great Cream Tea Poll
Between August 18 and March 19 over 1,000 internet user took our poll to decide which method is most popular, in theory these users were as unbiased as possible. Did the poll backfire with more people preferring the Cornish method 😬?
Decide For Yourself Which Is Best
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Thanks for all the comments, I make that 6 to 1 Cornwall! eek!
Well the way my grandad would of done it is put the butter on split first them the jam then the cream, he was a cornish farmer
Well, you can pop your jam on your scone and there’s a jammy scone, nice enough, and then you splodge a good dollop of cream on top and it seals in the jam, creates a pleasing colour symmetry, and looks like a little mini gateau. A little dome of happiness, really. And when you bite it, there’s the velvety cream all in your mouth and a jammy surprise beneath. Bliss.
Or you could put the cream directly onto the scone, drop the jam on top, and watch the jam run down and dribble off until your afternoon treat looks like roadkill and the sun hides behind the clouds and small children cry.
It’s all down to personal choice.
I am Devon born n bred.
My parents and their parents are Devon stock.
I asked this question to my grandmother
Her answer was this.
“In Devon we put the jam on first then the cream
In Cornwell they put the cream on first the reason is cream was cheaper then the jam in Devon with cream ontop you used less jam and more cream”
I asked her if this was a new thing with rationing in the wars.
“No that’s the way the monks had done it”
Was her reply.
It’s very obvious, but if you didn’t know already, IT’S GOT TO BE CREAM ON TOP!!!!!!!