Gransnet forums

Chat

Cream teas

(68 Posts)
Namsnanny Sat 28-Sep-19 15:51:46

I’m inclined to stay in my little grove and stray very little these days, for a number of reasons.
Husband never has been good at coming up with ideas for leisure time, but in the past I had enough ideas for 10 people!
So, I thought I must kick myself up the rear and do something about it.
Came up with going out over the summer ‘testing’ cream teas all over the country!
Weather has been great in and out so we’ve had a great little run around using this idea to spur us into more and more places.
Just come back from Snowdonia (not much walking for us but lovely beautiful scenery isn’t it?).
Rated our cream tea 8 out of 10 scone big enough for two, tea made with loose leaves, lovely bone china cups....and saucers!! Friendly helpful staff, quaint welsh cottage,.....but cream was squirty can cream, not clotted or double hence only 8 points!!!

Any one recommend one more before the season ends?

bonji Mon 30-Sep-19 13:48:25

What a lovely thing to do Namsnanny and so good to get you out and about. Have you thought of trying to publish your findings or at least put them into a blog as I’m sure others would be interested. Having an ongoing theme for outings has always seemed right for myself and DH although I did get a bit bored with yet another visit to a steam railway! My youngest daughter was a talented athlete and before she could drive I spent many years touring the UK and sometimes abroad but only ever managed to see athletic stadiums. We marked these out of 10 but this was based on the toilets - not quite as enjoyable as cream teas but very necessary!

pamdixon Sun 29-Sep-19 20:58:31

had a simply delicious cream tea recently, just outside Bovey Tracey in Devon. Lovely little cafe in a place called Parke. Much to be recommended! Loads of wonderful clotted cream and lovely jam and fresh hot scones.
I always assumed the cream was a butter substitute, therefore that goes on before the jam and melts into the warm scones. Can't imagine doing the jam first........but that's just me.

WOODMOUSE49 Sun 29-Sep-19 20:56:28

I live in Cornwall and so spoilt for choice.

Rosemergy Farmhouse Cream Teas - North Cornish coast midway between St. Ives and St. Just

£6 each you get a huge pot of tea and 2 freshly home baked scones each with luxury jam and clotted cream.

jocork Sun 29-Sep-19 20:37:51

I thought the photo was Bibury too. We went there regularly when my kids were small. It was a favourite Sunday afternoon trip out. My favourite cream teas though were on a farm at the foot of White Horse Hill near Uffington. I don't know if they still do them as we moved away from the area 16 years ago but we were regulars there when local. If the weather was good you could sit in the orchard and watch the geese in a nearby pen. On less pleasant days you could sit in the barn where there was a little gift shop too. When my kids were small I made cards and pictures to sell and I used to sell some through the gift shop. It was open from about Easter until September or October.

Ellianne Sun 29-Sep-19 18:54:34

grin

Gaunt47 Sun 29-Sep-19 18:50:50

Shysal, Cornish splits just aren't made any longer. Such a shame, the taste and lightness incomparable. Though I did dig out a recipe for a sweet yeast bun ages ago which looked like it could be similar. Thanks for reminding me!!
Ellianne, of course the Queen puts jam on first, her son is the Duke of Cornwall smile

Ellianne Sun 29-Sep-19 17:59:30

I've just read that at Buckingham Palace tea parties it's jam first then cream on top. Apparently that's how the Queen likes it.

phoenix Sun 29-Sep-19 17:50:56

lemongrove I do not use squirty cream at all, but I have been told that it can play a part in some "games".

GabriellaG54 Sun 29-Sep-19 17:46:43

Just noticed (having crumpets with butter and jam) that it's Bonne Maman not Bon Maman...oops!

lemongrove Sun 29-Sep-19 17:02:59

phoenix do tell what you use the squirty cream for?wink

crystaltipps Sun 29-Sep-19 16:24:22

Nul points for squirty cream, hasn’t it got lots of oil and additives in it? The kids like it on top of hot chocolate and it looks disgusting.

KatyK Sun 29-Sep-19 16:17:43

There is a lovely tea shop in Birmingham called Pigeon's Parlour. They do afternoon teas, rather than cream teas. It's a 1940s themed tea shop and it's very quaint.

phoenix Sun 29-Sep-19 15:45:28

SQUIRTY CREAM, on a scone! Disgraceful! It would have been no stars from me no matter how damn good the scone was!

There is only one thing that squirty cream can possibly be good for, and it forms no part of a cream tea!

jura2 Sun 29-Sep-19 15:39:02

EllanVannin - what is it about China cups or mugs- it makes it all taste so much better. Never drink coffee or tea in thick earthenware. No snobbisnesh- it just tastes different and wrong.

Never order cream tea before checking that they serve with proper clotted cream, for sure.

GabriellaG54 Sun 29-Sep-19 15:34:18

I've had many cream teas all over the UK but the scones are either fruity (I prefer plain) or huge oversized ones.
Cream is sometimes the aerated variety and jam, strawberry.
My favourites are my home baked scones, warm, with either Jersey or good French butter topped with Bon Maman raspberry conserve or the conserve topped with Rodda's Cornish clotted cream...plus a pot of loose leaf tea and finger sandwiches. ???

Juliet27 Sun 29-Sep-19 14:40:02

Ellianne I'm with you on the salty butter addition. Note to self - book that cholesterol blood test!

Shazmo24 Sun 29-Sep-19 14:39:25

The Railway Tearoom in Belper, Derbyshire is fabulous

Ellianne Sun 29-Sep-19 13:43:35

Is that Bickleigh new nanny? We're retiring to Devon so like the sound of that place.
I'm ashamed to admit I like salty butter, clotted cream then jam all on one scone!

shysal Sun 29-Sep-19 13:39:51

What happened to Cornish 'splits and cream'? My childhood holidays were usually spent in the West Country where the splits were a sweet yeast bun, much nicer (and larger!) than scones.
My aunt and uncle ran a dairy farm in Devon and I have a clear memory of the huge copper pans used to make clotted cream on top of the range.

Taptan Sun 29-Sep-19 13:34:33

If in North Yorkshire, can’t beat Mama Doreen’s in Harrogate for Afternoon Tea, amazing.

Susieque Sun 29-Sep-19 13:30:15

I recently discovered a lovely family run cafe next to a cricket club and allotment very pleasant. Anyway they warm the scones which I now prefer.... lovely with jam and cream ?

newnanny Sun 29-Sep-19 12:56:34

Oh EllanVannin I go one further and use one of my bone china teapots, milk jugs and tea cups and saucers from my china collection. I even use a small silver sugar tongs and a tiny silver spoon to stir the tea. It makes it very enjoyable and I always get them out when visitors come. My niece drops by quite often for what she calls my posh tea. grin

newnanny Sun 29-Sep-19 12:49:30

Namsnanny they do a gorgeous cream tea at The Fisherman's Cot which is a pretty village in Devon where there is a Bridge Over Troubled Water which inspired the Simon and Garfunkel song. If it is fine you can sit outside and watch the river over small rapids and if cold/wet watch it from large picture window. Do not forget to put cream on first as is the Devon way.

EllanVannin Sun 29-Sep-19 12:35:38

I often buy clotted cream from Asda---the real McCoy when I make scones then have my own cream tea----minus the china teapot, it's a couple of tea-bags in a china cup instead.

My stomach's rumbling !

GeorgyGirl Sun 29-Sep-19 12:19:21

Love Cream Teas, especially with Cornish clotted cream on the scone first - to replace butter! Then jam ! Delish :-)