Cream tea is a traditional type of afternoon tea that’s associated with the West Country – Devon, Cornwall, as well as Dorset and Somerset. It consists of tea that’s usually served with a combination of clotted cream, scones, and jam.

Butter is also often added to the mix, as well as whipped cream instead of clotted cream, but the addition of whipped cream makes the tea less authentic. In Devonshire, the scones are split and first spread with clotted cream and then strawberry jam.

The Cornish way is to split a scone and spread it first with the jam, and then with clotted cream. The scones should always be freshly baked and warm, while butter is generally not included as a part of cream tea.