Cream Tea Day

Cream Tea Day, observed on June 24th, celebrates the classic English cream tea: warm scones served with clotted cream and jam, alongside a pot of tea. The tradition is believed to date back over a thousand years to Tavistock Abbey in Devon, where monks reportedly served bread with clotted cream and preserves to workers helping restore the abbey after a Viking raid in 997 CE, making it one of England's oldest continuously enjoyed food customs. Devon and Cornwall both claim to be the true home of the cream tea, and the rivalry centers on the order of application: the 'Devon method' spreads clotted cream first and jam on top, while the 'Cornish method' spreads jam first, then tops it with a dollop of cream, a distinction locals in both counties take remarkably seriously. Clotted cream itself, a thick, rich cream made by slowly heating unpasteurized milk, has protected geographical status in the UK, meaning only cream made in the West Country using traditional methods can legally be labeled 'clotted cream.' Cream teas are served throughout Britain today at cafes, National Trust properties, and country hotels, remaining one of the quintessential experiences associated with the English countryside.