Jam or Cream First? Cornish vs Devon Cream Tea Explained
Jam or cream first? It depends where you are. The Cornish way is jam first, then a spoonful of clotted cream on top. The Devon way is clotted cream first, with jam on top. Both make a proper cream tea, and Wikipedia notes that cream teas are served both ways throughout both counties, so the choice is yours.
At a glance
- Cornwalljam first, clotted cream on top
- Devonclotted cream first, jam on top
- 55%minimum milk fat in clotted cream
- 2018the "Sconegate" row at Lanhydrock
On this page
Few questions divide a tea room like this one: jam or cream first? Split a warm scone in Cornwall and you'll be told the jam goes on before the clotted cream. Cross the Tamar into Devon and you'll hear the opposite. This guide explains both methods, what makes a cream tea, where the tradition may have started, what clotted cream actually is, and how a cream tea differs from afternoon tea and high tea. If you're after carbs rather than etiquette, our guide to whether scones are keto friendly covers that side.
Jam or cream first on a scone?
There's no single right answer, only two regional traditions. According to Wikipedia's cream tea entry, the Devonian (or Devonshire) method is to split the scone in two, cover each half with clotted cream, and then add strawberry jam on top. With the Cornish method, the warm scone (or a Cornish "split") is split in two, spread with strawberry jam first, and finally topped with a spoonful of clotted cream.
| Cornish way | Devon way | |
|---|---|---|
| First layer | Strawberry jam | Clotted cream |
| On top | Clotted cream | Strawberry jam |
| Old base | Cornish split | Devon split |
| Today | Usually a scone | Usually a scone |
Based on Wikipedia's Cream tea entry. Checked 2 November 2026.
In practice the rule is looser than the rivalry suggests. Wikipedia points out that although many people still claim these distinctions, cream teas are served and enjoyed both cream first and jam first throughout both counties.
What is a Cornish split?
Before scones took over, a cream tea in Cornwall was traditionally served on a "split": a slightly sweet white bread roll. Wikipedia says splits are now rare in cafés, even in Cornwall, but many Cornish families still make them at home. Devon has its own occasional alternative, the "Devon split" or "Chudleigh", which is lighter than a scone and smaller than a Cornish split.
What is a cream tea?
A cream tea is a light afternoon meal of tea with scones, clotted cream and jam. Wikipedia defines it as an afternoon tea of tea, scones, clotted cream (or, less authentically, whipped cream), jam and sometimes butter. It also goes by the names Devon cream tea, Devonshire tea and Cornish cream tea, and it's sold in tea rooms throughout England, especially in Devon and Cornwall.
Traditionally, according to Wikipedia, the scones should be warm (ideally freshly baked), the cream should be clotted rather than whipped, and the jam should be strawberry rather than any other kind. Scones are rarely buttered in tea-room cream teas, and some sources even advise against milk in the tea.
Other kinds of cream tea
- Thunder and Lightning. A round of bread or a Cornish split topped with clotted cream and honey or golden syrup.
- Savoury cream tea. Cheese scones with cream cheese instead of clotted cream and chutney instead of jam.
The name itself is younger than you might think. Wikipedia says the Oxford English Dictionary's earliest example of "cream tea" in this sense comes from a 1964 novel, although the Foods of England website found it in The Cornishman newspaper in 1931. Wikipedia's scone entry adds that the first written reference to scones as part of a cream tea appeared in The Cornishman in 1932, though Devonians are reported to have adopted scones before the Cornish.
Where did the cream tea come from?
Wikipedia describes the origin of the cream tea as disputed, but one story puts it in Devon around 1,000 years ago. In 2004 BBC Devon reported that local historians in Tavistock, studying old manuscripts ahead of the town's 900th charter anniversary, had traced it to the monks of Tavistock's Benedictine Abbey.
According to that research, the abbey was plundered by Vikings in 997AD and restored with the help of Ordulf, Earl of Devon. Local workers helped with the repairs, and the monks rewarded them with bread, clotted cream and strawberry preserves. The BBC report says the monks carried on serving the combination to passing travellers.
Devon's claim went further in May 2010, when Wikipedia records that a campaign was launched at the Devon County Show to protect the name "Devon cream tea" under the EU's Protected Designation of Origin rules. Clotted cream from Cornwall already had that protection, as explained below.
Sconegate and the Queen's scones
The jam-or-cream question is taken seriously in the South West. In March 2018, BBC News reported that the National Trust's Lanhydrock estate near Bodmin, in Cornwall, had posted a Mother's Day cream tea advert on Facebook showing a scone with the jam dolloped on the cream, Devon style. About 300 people complained on the post.
The Trust apologised for the "heinous mistake", said the member of staff responsible had been "marched back over the Tamar" to Devon, and had #JamFirst badges made for staff to wear to support "a proper cream tea". It also pointed out that its jam and cream are usually served in little pots, so the order is up to each visitor. Not everyone was outraged. One reply quoted by the BBC read: "Don't apologise, it still tastes the same."
A few days later the Queen was drawn into it. The Evening Standard reported that Darren McGrady, a former royal chef, wrote on Twitter that "the Queen always had home-made Balmoral jam first" with clotted cream on top at Buckingham Palace garden parties and royal tea parties. According to the paper, Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
Whichever order you choose, split the scone while it's still warm and use a spoon for the clotted cream. Clotted cream is spread rather than poured, so it sits in a thick layer either under or over the jam.
What is clotted cream?
Clotted cream is the thick, golden-crusted cream that makes a cream tea. Wikipedia describes it as a thick cream made by heating full-cream cow's milk with steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. As it cools, the cream rises to the surface and forms "clots" or "clouts", which gave it its name. It's also known as scalded, clouted, Devonshire or Cornish cream.
The Cornish version is protected. The GOV.UK register lists Cornish Clotted Cream as a Protected Designation of Origin, first registered with the EU on 1 October 1998 and on the UK scheme from 31 December 2020. Its product specification says it must be made from milk produced in Cornwall, and the cream must have a minimum butterfat content of 55%. It's scalded to 70 to 80°C, without boiling, for at least an hour while a thick crust forms, then cooled to no more than 5°C. The specification describes it as having a characteristic nutty flavour and says it's "spread rather than poured".
Clotted cream vs double cream
Fat content is the legal difference. Under the Cheese and Cream Regulations 1995, a cream can only be labelled "clotted cream" if it's clotted and has at least 55% milk fat. Double cream needs at least 48%, whipping cream 35% and single cream 18%. Our guide to whether double cream is the same as heavy cream compares UK and US creams in more detail.
| Cream | Legal min fat | Fat per 100g |
|---|---|---|
| Clotted | 55% | 63.5g |
| Double | 48% | 53.7g |
| Whipping | 35% | 40.3g |
| Single | 18% | 19.1g |
Minimums: Cheese and Cream Regulations 1995, regulation 6. Fat per 100g: CoFID 2021 codes 12-592, 12-334 (includes Jersey cream), 12-333 and 12-332. Checked 2 November 2026.
Cream tea vs afternoon tea vs high tea
These three get mixed up, but they're different meals. A cream tea is the simplest: just tea, scones, clotted cream and jam. Afternoon tea is a bigger spread, and Wikipedia's entry on tea as a meal says scones with clotted cream and jam are served as part of it, "as they are for cream tea". High tea is something else again.
| Meal | What's served |
|---|---|
| Cream tea | Tea, scones, clotted cream, jam |
| Afternoon tea | Sandwiches, scones, cakes, tea |
| High tea | A hot or cold savoury dish, then bread, cakes and tea |
Based on Wikipedia's Cream tea and Tea (meal) entries. Checked 2 November 2026.
Afternoon tea, also called "low tea", was originally eaten between 4pm and 5pm. Wikipedia lists crustless sandwiches (often cucumber or egg and cress), cakes such as Victoria sponge or Battenberg, and scones, often on a tiered stand with sandwiches at the bottom, scones in the middle and sweet cakes on top. Anna Russell, Duchess of Bedford, is commonly credited with starting it in the 1830s or 1840s, though Wikipedia notes her role is disputed.
High tea is a heartier late-afternoon or early-evening meal, typically eaten between 5pm and 7pm and sometimes associated with the working class. Wikipedia says it usually starts with a savoury dish, such as something hot or cold cuts of meat, followed by cakes, bread, butter and jam. Outside Britain, "high tea" is sometimes used to mean afternoon tea.
How do you pronounce scone?
Both ways are correct, and it depends largely on where you grew up. Wikipedia says some people say it to rhyme with "gone" and others to rhyme with "tone". The "tone" version is strongest in the English Midlands and Ireland, while the "gone" version is strongest in Northern England and Scotland and also seems to be favoured in Southern England, the Home Counties and East Anglia. British dictionaries usually show the "gone" form as the preferred pronunciation while recognising the other.
There's even a little poem about it, quoted by Wikipedia: "I asked the maid in dulcet tone / To order me a buttered scone; / The silly girl has been and gone / And ordered me a buttered scone."
Cream tea carbs and calories
Most of the carbohydrate in a cream tea comes from the scone and the jam. The clotted cream adds very little carbohydrate, but plenty of fat and calories. Here's how the UK's official food composition tables (CoFID) compare each part, per 100g.
| Per 100g | Carbs | Sugars | kcal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain scones | 55.2g | 12.7g | 346 |
| Fruit scones | 56.2g | 18.9g | 338 |
| Jam | 69.0g | 69.0g | 261 |
| Clotted cream | 2.3g | 2.3g | 586 |
CoFID 2021: Scones, plain, retail (11-827); Scones, fruit, retail (11-993); Jam, fruit with edible seeds (17-073); Cream, fresh, clotted (12-592). UK carbohydrate figures don't include fibre. Checked 2 November 2026.
CoFID also lists 63.5g fat per 100g for clotted cream, and 12.3g fat and 7.2g protein per 100g for shop-bought plain scones. All of the carbohydrate in the jam sample is listed as sugars. The order you build your scone in makes no difference to the totals, only the amounts do.
If you're cutting carbs
You can still have a cream tea; it's the scone and jam that need swapping. Our Keto Scone Mix is made with almond flour, erythritol, organic coconut flour, whey protein, golden linseed, baking powder, Himalayan pink salt, xanthan gum and stevia, and the pack makes 6 medium scones. You add cold butter, an egg and Greek yoghurt.
Our keto scones recipe turns the mix into a proper cream tea, served with clotted cream and keto raspberry jam. Each plain scone has 13.1g carbohydrate, including 9.9g polyols, which gives 3.2g net carbs, with 289 kcal. The recipe says a 15g spoonful of clotted cream adds 0.3g carbohydrate and 88 kcal.
For the jam, our keto jam recipe sets raspberries with chia seeds and sweetens them with a powdered sweetener such as our Powdered Erythritol & Stevia Blend, a 1kg pouch of erythritol and stevia glycosides that its product page says replaces icing sugar 1:1. A 20g tablespoon of the no-cook version, made with fresh raspberries, has 1g net carbs. The cooked version uses gelatine, with an optional ¼ teaspoon of Xanthan Gum for a thicker set.
Product details are as shown on each product page. Free delivery on orders over £30.
The Keto Scone Mix contains almonds and milk (whey protein), and our keto scones recipe also contains eggs. Clotted cream is a milk product. The scone mix and the Powdered Erythritol & Stevia Blend both contain erythritol, a polyol, and excessive consumption of polyols may produce laxative effects. Always check the pack for full allergen information.
Key takeaways
- Cornwall puts jam first. Clotted cream goes on top.
- Devon puts cream first. Strawberry jam goes on top.
- Both are a proper cream tea. Tea rooms in both counties serve it either way.
- Clotted cream is the richest cream. It must have at least 55% milk fat.
Frequently asked questions
Do the royals put jam or cream first?
According to the Evening Standard, former royal chef Darren McGrady said in 2018 that the Queen always had homemade Balmoral jam first, with clotted cream on top, at Buckingham Palace garden parties and royal tea parties. That's the Cornish way. Buckingham Palace declined to comment, so it's a chef's account rather than an official rule.
Is a cream tea the same as afternoon tea?
Not quite. A cream tea is just tea with scones, clotted cream and jam. Afternoon tea is a bigger meal that Wikipedia says includes crustless sandwiches, cakes such as Victoria sponge and scones with clotted cream and jam, often on a tiered stand. A cream tea is really the scone course on its own.
Is clotted cream the same as double cream?
No. Clotted cream is made by heating cream and letting it cool slowly so a thick crust forms. Under the Cheese and Cream Regulations 1995 it must have at least 55% milk fat, compared with 48% for double cream. CoFID lists 63.5g fat per 100g for clotted cream and 53.7g for double cream.
Should scones be eaten warm?
Traditionally, yes. Wikipedia's cream tea entry says it's important that the scones are warm, ideally freshly baked. Split them while they're still warm, then add the jam and clotted cream just before eating. If you have leftovers, our keto scones recipe suggests warming them in the oven for 5 minutes to freshen them up.
What jam goes on a cream tea?
Strawberry is the traditional choice. Wikipedia says a classic cream tea uses strawberry jam rather than any other kind, and the Cornish Clotted Cream specification names scones and jam, often strawberry, as its best-known pairing. You can use any jam you like, though: our keto scones recipe serves the scones with keto raspberry jam.
Sources
- Wikipedia. Cream tea (definition, names, the Devon and Cornish methods, splits, variations, early uses of the name, the 2010 campaign), Clotted cream (description, method and names), Scone (pronunciation, the poem, scones in cream teas) and Tea (meal) (afternoon tea and high tea). Checked 2 November 2026.
- BBC Devon. Were cream teas "invented" in Tavistock? (2004; Tavistock Abbey and the monks' bread, clotted cream and strawberry preserves). Checked 2 November 2026.
- BBC News. Lanhydrock National Trust cream tea advert sparks outrage (11 March 2018). Checked 2 November 2026.
- Evening Standard. The Queen settles long-running debate over how to make a cream tea (17 March 2018; Darren McGrady's comments). Checked 2 November 2026.
- GOV.UK (Defra). Cornish Clotted Cream: protected food name and product specification (registration dates, 55% butterfat, method). Checked 2 November 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk. The Cheese and Cream Regulations 1995, regulation 6 (minimum milk fat for named creams). Checked 2 November 2026.
- Public Health England / Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. Composition of foods integrated dataset (CoFID) 2021 (codes 11-827, 11-993, 17-073, 12-592, 12-334, 12-333 and 12-332). Checked 2 November 2026.
- Groovy Keto recipes and product pages: keto scones, keto jam, Keto Scone Mix, Powdered Erythritol & Stevia Blend and Xanthan Gum (ingredients, nutrition, pack sizes and allergens). Checked 2 November 2026.
