National Cream Tea Day in the UK Date in the current year: June 28, 2024

A cream tea is an English afternoon tea that consists of tea, scones, strawberry jam, clotted cream, and sometimes butter. Clotted cream, for those of you who are not familiar with English food, is a thick cream made from full-cream cow’s milk, which is heated using steam or a water bath and then left in shallow pans to cool slowly. It is also known as Cornish or Devonshire cream.

The origin of the cream tea is somewhat murky. The tradition of eating bread with clotted cream and jam is believed to have originated in Devon around the 11th century, but tea drinking became popular in Great Britain much later, in the 17th century. The rise of its popularity is attributed to Catherine of Braganza, the Portuguese wife of King Charles II. The cream tea tradition flourished around the mid-19th century, although the first recorded mentions of “cream tea” in the sense of the afternoon tea, as opposed to a cup of tea with added cream, are dated the first half of the 20th century.

Be that as it may, the cream tea is a beloved tradition in South West England, especially in Cornwall and Devon. Each of the two counties has its particular view on how scones, jam, and clotted cream should be eaten. In Devon and its neighboring counties, it is customary to split the scone in two, put clotted cream on each half, and then cover it with strawberry jam. In Cornwall and elsewhere, notably in London, the scone is split in two, each half is covered with strawberry jam, and then a spoonful of clotted cream is added on top.

Scones should be still warm, preferably freshly baked. Good scones should break apart with a simple twist, so you won’t have to cut them in half. Don’t butter your scones and don’t use whipped cream instead of clotted cream because it is inauthentic, and some would even say utterly improper. The cream tea is usually served without milk, but if you like your tea with milk, you should remember that tea is poured first, followed by milk and then sugar.

National Cream Tea Day was created by The Cream Tea Society, founded by Wilkins & Sons Tiptree (a manufacturer of preserves and marmalades) and Rodda’s Cornish Clotted Cream. The main goals of the holiday are to share the love of the cream tea and encourage people to support charities across the UK. Every year, The Cream Tea Society donates up to 50,000 portions of cream and jam, supporting fundraisers and charities to host cream tea events to raise money.

There are many ways to get involved with National Cream Tea Day. You can invite your friends and family for a cream tea, host a cream tea event or a bake sale to support a local charity, donate to or volunteer for your favorite charity or charities, and spread the word about the holiday using the hashtags #NationalCreamTeaDay and #CreamTeaDay.