Devon Cream Teas

One thing you absolutely have to do when in Devon is enjoy a Devon cream tea - and there are plenty of excellent cafes and tearooms that are very willing to help you to do so.

Whether you fancy hunting out a quaint, old-fashioned tearoom complete with vintage china and silver cutlery, or perhaps a rustic, farmhouse-style café that also offers great slabs of cake, or maybe you prefer a smart hotel with glorious sea views, the Devon tradition of fresh, warm scones smothered with local clotted cream then dolloped with a spoonful of jam is absolutely delicious, and one that's not to be missed.

The Devon cream tea tradition

For hundreds (and hundreds!) of years, delicious cream teas have been enjoyed in every corner of Devon. Historians have found evidence that a tradition of eating bread with cream and jam existed at Tavistock abbey during the 11th century, though by the 1600s cream teas were served with scones, or the ‘Devon split’ – a sweet leavened bread roll.

There are variations between Devon and Cornwall as to how a cream tea should be eaten – which causes no end of (mostly good-natured!) debate: in Devon we top our scone first with lots of clotted cream, and then with jam; whilst in Cornwall (for some unfathomable reason!) they eat jam topped with cream.

Devon cream teas today

It’s very easy to find a delicious Devon cream tea served exactly in the traditional way – but also many places have added their own personal touch. If you really fancy going for a full blow-out, try a Devon cream tea as part of an afternoon tea – which means that you’ll get dainty sandwiches and delicious cakes and petite-four alongside your scones, cream and jam. Or, for a special occasion (whether that’s your birthday, or just Tuesday), how about swapping your cuppa for a Champagne cream tea? And for something really different, there are a number of Devon cafes serving savoury cream teas: cheese scones, with cream and other cheeses, plus chutneys and pickles.

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