Fun Facts & Everything You Need To Know About Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea is one of Britain's best-loved traditions. Whether you're enjoying it in a country hotel, a local café, your own garden or the comfort of home, it's a wonderful excuse to slow down and savour good food with a pot of tea.

While afternoon tea and cream tea are often confused, they're actually quite different. So where did these traditions begin, and what makes a proper Devon cream tea so special?

Afternoon Tea vs Cream Tea

A traditional afternoon tea is served in three courses, typically featuring finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones with clotted cream and jam, followed by a selection of cakes or pastries, all accompanied by a pot of tea.

A cream tea is much simpler. It consists of freshly baked scones served with clotted cream, jam and, of course, a pot of tea. It's a speciality closely associated with both Devon and Cornwall.

Where Did The Afternoon Tea Begin?

Afternoon tea is widely credited to Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, in the early 1840s. At a time when the evening meal was often served quite late, she began requesting tea, bread and butter, and cake during the afternoon to satisfy her hunger. She soon started inviting friends to join her, and the custom quickly became fashionable among Victorian society before spreading across Britain. 

What About The Cream Tea?

The origins of the cream tea are less clear and remain the subject of friendly debate.

One of the earliest stories links it to Tavistock Abbey in Devon, where monks are said to have served bread with cream and preserves to workers helping rebuild the abbey after Viking raids. Whether this marks the true beginning of the cream tea is impossible to say, but by the Victorian era, cream teas had become firmly established across the South West, particularly as tourism grew and visitors sought out local specialities.

The Great Cream Tea Debate

No discussion of cream tea would be complete without mentioning the age-old question: cream first or jam first?

In Devon, the traditional approach is to spread the clotted cream first, much like butter, before adding the jam.

In Cornwall, it's the other way around, with jam spread first and the clotted cream added on top.

Whichever side you support, one thing everyone can agree on is that freshly baked scones, rich clotted cream and good strawberry jam are a winning combination.

Facts About Afternoon Tea  

• Strawberry jam remains one of Britain's favourite choices for serving with scones.
• Scones became a regular part of afternoon tea during the late Victorian and Edwardian periods.
• Despite popular belief, etiquette experts generally agree there's no need to raise your little finger when drinking tea.
• Queen Victoria was particularly fond of sponge cake, helping popularise what we now know as the Victoria sponge.
• A traditional Victoria sponge is made with raspberry or strawberry jam and, in many modern versions, lightly whipped cream.
• Clotted cream has been produced in Devon and Cornwall for centuries and remains one of the South West's best-known specialities.

Fun Tea Facts

• China is widely recognised as the birthplace of tea drinking.
• Tea is still Britain's favourite drink after water, with millions of cups enjoyed every day.
• Black tea remains the UK's most popular variety, followed by speciality and herbal teas.
• Tea naturally contains around half the caffeine of a typical cup of coffee, although this varies depending on how it's brewed.
• In Victorian Britain, afternoon tea and high tea were quite different occasions. Afternoon tea was a light social meal enjoyed by the upper classes, while high tea was a more substantial early evening meal eaten by working families.
• One of the world's rarest teas, Da Hong Pao, is grown in China's Wuyi Mountains and is renowned for its history and rarity.

Enjoy An Afternoon or Cream Tea At Home

Whether you prefer a traditional cream tea or a classic afternoon tea, there's something wonderfully relaxing about taking time to enjoy good food and a proper pot of tea.

At Devon Hampers, we've brought together a range of afternoon tea and cream tea hampers featuring carefully selected produce from across Devon and Cornwall.

Whether you're treating yourself, celebrating a special occasion or sending a thoughtful gift, they're a simple way to enjoy a taste of the South West from home.

Sources: https://www.britishhamper.com/blog/fun-afternoon-tea-facts-the-history-of-afternoon-tea-our-top-afternoon-tea-hampers