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 😬?
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Silliest thing I’ve ever heard. does it really matter? Just be happy you have a roof over your head, good health, enough money to buy healthy fruits, vegetables, and grains, milk, some good quality meat, fish, poultry, and some nuts and seeds. If there is any money left over and you like to eat jam, grow some strawberries, raspberries, and make some preserves, then whip up some cream in a mixer, and bake some biscuits or scones or muffins, and eat them whatever way you feel like it, and you don’t have to have cream on a scone. A baked apple with a drizzle of homemade raspberry sauce is healthier and more delicious. Just be happy it’s not 1643 with the Parliamentarians battling the Royalists. Could the jam verses cream argument have been the catalyst for starting the civil wars? LOL
you mention cornish split but we also have devon splits known as ‘chudleys’ very few bakers make them now the most local to me is at sidmouth
I live on the border of Cornwall & Devon so I put Devon cream on the scone then jam then a dob of Cornish cream on top.
Best of both worlds!!
Jam then Cream on top for me.
I’m Cornish born and lived there many years left and return many times in Cornwall the cream is on the bottom then the strawberry jam
When I’m with friends from Devon I turn the scones upside down for them