NATIONAL CREAM TEA DAY

(Last Updated On: November 8, 2022)

Every year on the last Friday in June, British tradition comes alive on National Cream Tea Day.

Around the world, tea enjoys enduring traditions and legendary stories. When it comes to British cream tea, the meal is steeped with delicious sandwiches, cakes, biscuits, and scones complimented with jams and creams. These were small daily afternoon snacks to tide one over to the evening meal. The idea of an afternoon tea came from the Seventh Duchess of Bedford in 1840. Between lunch and the late evening meal, Anna would become hungry and would have tea with bread and butter in her room late in the afternoon – not necessarily a high society affair.

Over time, the traditions changed and today, cream tea is enjoyed as part of a social occasion, lawn parties, or accompanies a small snack with guests.

When it comes to cream tea, it’s all in the clotted cream – not whipped. Creamy thick clotted cream (also known as Devonshire cream because the cows come from Devon) made from heating raw, full cream cow’s milk in a steam bath. However, real clotted cream isn’t available in the United States due to the pasteurization and homogenization requirements that change the fat structure of the milk.

Between the baking and the brewing, a debate concerning which should be applied first to the scones – the jam or the cream. Devonshire cream is traditionally spread first and the jam second. When the jam is spread first and topped with cream, it’s considered Cornish.

HOW TO OBSERVE #NationalCreamTeaDay

If invited to a cream tea, go! Teas are a pleasure to attend. Sip your favorite Organize one and invite all your friends. Better yet, visit www.creamteasociety.co.uk to learn more about tea etiquette and to find your charity tea products. Each year the day raises funds for charities across the UK.

For those in the United States, visit Becks Posh Nosh for a faux clotted cream recipe. It’ll do in a pinch.

Use #NationalCreamTeaDay to share on social media.