Why Do The British Continue To Argue Over Scones?

Plenty of us know that the British know a thing or two about simple dishes that come filled with some punchy flavors. What about the famous scone? The jury is still out about how it’s meant to be pronounced, but that’s not the only thing that’s got people talking throughout the years. So, why do the British continue to argue over scones?

It turns out the debate about what comes first, the jam or the clotted cream, might be more discussed across the nation than the long-running question of the order of the chicken and the egg. It’s left many people wondering if there will ever be an answer to the debate.

Cream tea has never been more divisive

If you’ve never been treated to a cream tea, what have you been waiting for? The idea is to have a midday treat that consists of a pot of tea, some scones, clotted cream, and jam. Sometimes, finger sandwiches and other cakes join the party, but that’s not what’s causing the debate. Instead, it seems the order that people make their scones is what’s causing so many issues. Two neighboring counties, Devon and Cornwall, each have their own idea. So the question is: is it scone, jam, cream, or scone, cream, jam? 

Devon claims to have invented cream tea and the order of scones

People in Devon claim they’re the ones to have invented cream tea, with local historians stating there are fragments of a manuscript written from the 11th century. Tavistock Abbey was destroyed in 997 following Viking raids, but manuscripts seem to suggest that the Earl of Devon served his workers bread, strawberry preserve, and clotted cream as a thank you for restoring the building. The bread has since been swapped for scones, but the order of putting scone, cream, and then the jam is something the people of Devon stand by to date.

Cornwall is battling back that the jam goes first

The problem comes with scones regarding Cornwall’s take on it all. The county says that the jam should be spread on the scone first as it protects the cream from the heat of the scone. The other way around, to people in Cornwall, merely means the cream will melt. James Strawbridge, a famous Cornish chef, once served more than 15,000 scones in three days and says the only proper way to serve a scone is this way around, as the jam is “easily spreadable” and “looks much better.” To top it off, the chef claims that a lot of work goes into the clotted cream, so “we want to show it off, not hide it away.” 

The British continue to argue over scones to date - with no end in sight

It seemed things had been answered once and for all when the Queen confessed she had her cream tea the Cornish way and spread her jam on the scone first. Still, even that wasn’t enough to end the conflict. Even today, social media is filled with people from Cornwall using the hashtag “creamisnotbutter.” That hasn’t stopped the people of Devon from claiming they’re the ones with the historical ties to cream tea, so their way around - cream then jam - is the only way things should be assembled. For now, it seems there’s no end to the British argument surrounding scones.

Why do the British continue to argue over scones? That’s because there are two counties both battling it out as they claim their way is the only way to eat a scone. While many of us have likely never thought too much about the order of things, it could be tough to make a cream tea going forward without taking a moment to consider which is best.