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How to enjoy a cream tea like a pro

22nd June 2020

Categories: Visitor News

The last Friday in June is officially National Cream Tea Day and if you know anything about Devon, you’ll know that a real Devonshire Cream Tea is one of the best things about a trip to the county. With the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we can’t guarantee that you’ll be able to enjoy a cream tea served by your favourite café or restaurant in Devon, but with the online resources available as part of the National Cream Tea Day celebrations, we can guarantee that you can enjoy a cream tea at home, wherever you are!

This year, the team behind National Cream Tea Day have pulled together a pack of resources so you can have cream tea in your garden with your family or have one over Facetime with your best friends! You can find out more here.

Before you embark on a virtual cream tea party though, there are some important things you need to know so you can enjoy a cream tea like a pro.

One of the most important parts of a cream tea is the tea itself. Now, we all know we can stick a tea bag in a mug and eat it alongside a scone, but if you want to be a pro when it comes to cream tea then you need to use loose-leaf tea. According to the experts, loose leaf tea is the best for a cream tea. They recommend brewing them in a teapot, but to always have a second pot of hot water on hand, just in case your tea comes out too strong.
Speaking of the tea being too strong, for the perfect cuppa, make sure you leave the tea to brew for at least three minutes before you start to serve.
Also, tea before milk. You’re not a heathen. Pour in the tea and then slowly add the milk so you can accurately judge the strength and then, if you like sweet tea, add sugar.
The person sitting nearest to the pot when it is served is the person who pours. We don’t make the rules, we just enforce them. Tradition states that the person nearest the pot should pour for everyone, so if you’re accident prone, don’t sit near the tea pot!
A proper cream tea should be served with tea spoons and saucers. Once you’ve stirred your tea, your spoon should be placed on your saucer, which of course, should remain in your non drinking hand.
Right, now for the scones. A proper scone should just break apart with a simple twist, don’t hack into it with a knife, use your hands!
Most cream teas will come with an assortment of jams and cream, it’s up to you what flavour combinations you want to use, but remember your tea etiquette, spoon the jam and cream you want onto your plate, not directly onto your scone. You can then spread them over your scone at your leisure.
The final and most important thing to remember – this is Devon and we do this properly, cream first then jam.

Now you have the etiquette down, make sure to download one of the online packs from the Cream Tea Society and have fun!