Dust off your best china, and lay out your gingham, Devon’s afternoon delight has it’s own national day!

Celebrate National Cream tea day by feasting on your clotted cream, scones and jam all accompanied with a fine cup of Earl Grey.

Now into its third year, National Cream Tea day celebrates the British tradition that is essentially Devon’s answer to afternoon tea.

If you haven’t ever heard of the cream tea, then where the heck have you been living?! They are a hallmark of a top quality tearoom and should be the signature of any afternoon tea service worth it’s salt.

After a boom in tourism during the 1850s, the Westcountry saw visitors boosted as a result of the railway opening. These early ‘tourists’ sought to relax and indulge, with the local cafes and tearooms offering a wide range of refreshments and delicious cream teas for eager visitors to delve into.

It seems that the jam has always been strawberry, and the cream always clotted.

For those not versed in the world of the cream tea — yes there is a ‘world’ of cream tea — there is debate on which way to correctly be eaten.

A post shared by Swarthmoor Hall (@swarthmoorhall) on Jun 28, 2017 at 9:36am PDT

Devonshire Cream Tea

The Devonshire (or Devon) method states one should split their scone in two, then cover each side with clotted cream, and only then adding strawberry jam.

Tradition states that the scones served be warm or freshly baked, with clotted cream (not whipped) and only strawberry jam being served. Tea should not be served with milk according to the Devonshire method.

Cornwall Cream Tea

A Cornwall cream tea is traditionally served with a “Cornish split”, which is a slightly sweet white bread roll, not a scone like the Devonshire method. These are now very rarely used or commercially available.

The warm roll (or in most cases scone) is then buttered, with strawberry jam being spread, then topped with a spoonful of clotted cream.

Both sides are very proud of their version of the traditional cream tea, with a campaign being started in 2010 to have the “Devon cream tea” name protected under the Protected Designation of Origin act provided by the European Union.

To be honest, we actually don’t mind how our cream tea is served, as long as we can stuff our faces with plenty!

As for the tea itself, Earl Grey should really be served with your Cream tea, if you’re thinking of tapping into the afternoon tea market, then you’ll need quality a quality tea set to set your business apart.