The English Cream Tea Company: Blog Blog http://www.englishcreamtea.com/ Tue, 19 Mar 2024 05:07:34 GMT urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:627208965f3d51012b29ea7b http://www.englishcreamtea.com/the-queens-jubilee-2022-tea-party-ideas The Queen’s Jubilee 2022 - Tea Party Ideas

There will be street parties and tea parties going on all over Great Britain to celebrate this historic moment: The Queen's Jubilee 2022.

I know that I’m involved in a very special Right Royal Tea Party on Saturday 4th June here at our own events tea room, The Secret Sconery!
 Guests will be wearing red, white and blue and the Champagne will be flowing!

I thought I would mention a few ideas for your Queen’s Platinum celebrations - some teatime treats you could make.

Of course, there should be sandwiches to start (that’s a typical afternoon tea ‘first course’!) but make them delicate, cut the crusts off and present them prettily with uniform cutting, if you can.  Think about garnishes - from halved cherry tomatoes to sprigs of parsley or rosemary….or strawberry halves (leave the short stems on for a spot of green colour) to rings of red pepper.  These all help to make the sandwiches look fresh and appetising - and do protect the bread from drying out with clingfilm or even damp kitchen towel and clingfilm - removed just before the eating commences!!  It's fine to make these the day before and keep them in the fridge.

Popular sandwich fillings include egg mayonnaise with a sprinkling of mustard cress….cheddar and pickle…ham and mustard…beef with horseradish…smoked salmon with lemon….cream cheese and cucumber and also Coronation chicken! We have suggestions for vegan sandwiches on our TikTok account  as well as presentation and garnish videos too plus lots of teatime ideas on our YouTube English Cream TV channel.

Children tend to prefer plainer fillings such as plain cheese, plain ham….or jam sandwiches - though in our experience, the adults pounce on the jam ones first!  The Queen is supposed to enjoy Penny Rounds - small round sandwiches filled with jam! They will be part of our menu for the day too.

Another savoury treat might be miniature prawn cocktails.  In Great Britain, we use a Marie Rose sauce over the prawns and lettuce.  A simple version can be made by mixing tomato ketchup and mayonnaise.  Present your mini prawn cocktails with a tea spoon.

Scones, clotted cream and jam are a delicious part of the afternoon tea as well.  If you are stuck for a decent scone recipe, I’ll be sending one out to our our mailing list soon (just email me to be added to that).  The order you add the cream and jam to your broken-open scone is up to you.  People from Devon say the cream goes first and those from Cornwall insist the cream goes on top.  Some people like to add butter to their scones first too - just saying :D

An assortment of cakes will be welcome (along with copious amounts of cups of tea to drink!) and one option is to cut up and present tray bakes such as lemon drizzle cake, coffee and walnut cake, Victoria sponge cake and more.  A good addition though is a meringue whirl, because children and adults seem to universally love them and they contain no gluten either.  We often also offer pots of colourful jellies as a refreshing ‘course’ and these are loved by adults and youngsters alike!

We’re in the lucky position of knowing in advance if any of our guests are vegan, gluten free, have nut allergies and so on - but if you don’t know, do be aware of these sorts aspects when you prepare and offer the food.

Above all though, have fun - sprinkle in some bunting or Royal colours and tableware - and have some special times during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee 4 day weekend. What a fabulous occasion. Hip hip hooray!!

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:6203c67d88c206012824bfa4 http://www.englishcreamtea.com/what-is-a-cream-tea-in-england-2 What is a cream tea in England?

What is a Cream Tea in England?

 English Cream Tea scones

First of all, if you’re planning a trip over here, DO enjoy a cream tea in England when you can!


Have no fear that it’s a revolting mixture of pouring cream into your tea (no, never do that!).  
Instead it’s an age old tradition of enjoying 4 things together as a teatime (or elevenses) sort of treat:



* Scones (a little bit like American ‘biscuits’ but more risen)

* Clotted Cream (a super-thick, delicious fresh cream made by scalding the milk and letting the fats rise).  Alas this isn’t easily available in many countries - excepting a far-less-nice UHT version, so whilst in the UK, be sure to buy a tub from a supermarket of Fresh Clotted Cream
 
* Jam (usually Strawberry but could be Blackcurrant…Raspberry or something more unusual)

* A cup of tea (usually English Breakfast or Earl Grey)



Those are the components of English Cream Tea, nothing else!  A delicious treat to be enjoyed at any time of day but particularly teatime! :D

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:6203c43b88c206012824b5c2 http://www.englishcreamtea.com/scone-or-scon-cream-or-jam-first-2 Scone or Scon? Cream or Jam first

Pronouncing it Scone or Scon... 

and is it Cream or Jam First?


It’s ridiculous how many column inches (and even scientific studies, I kid you not) that are devoted to the topic of the pronunciation of the word Scone AND whether the correct way to eat it is by putting the cream or jam first on to your treat.


I’m involved in a twitter group called @CreamTeaHour (Thursdays 8pm) and almost always, no matter what topic we’re supposed to be debating, it comes back to arguing over Scone/Scon and Cream or Jam first.  It’s vehement stuff too!  I’m sure wars have been fought over less.


Unfathomable to Overseas Visitors?


What must overseas folks think of us?  I’ve never yet seen Americans arguing over the order of mustard or ketchup on their hotdogs.  
For a start, there’s the misconception that a Cream Tea involves putting cream into your actual cup of tea. Oh dear.  And let’s not even touch on the problem of calling Afternoon Tea ‘High Tea’.  Sigh.


But furthermore, overseas people have invariably never even tasted Clotted Cream and have no idea what that treasured treat is in the first place.
Rodda is one of our treasured UK companies making Clotted Cream in Cornwall and their site will tell you more about the making of this delicious treat.


Furthermore 3 times when I’ve been in North America, I’ve been offered marmalade instead of jam with my scones (uh oh). Also, what we Brits call a scone and what other nations call one, is somewhat different too…and biscuits fall into that debatable category as well!  Evidently, it's a confusing topic all round.

Really, the best thing is for you to come on over so you can taste and adore our lovely scones, clotted cream and luscious jams!


English Cream Tea by The English Cream Tea Co

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:5d9f086226e1db3660d977e8 http://www.englishcreamtea.com/how-do-english-drink-their-tea How do English drink their tea?

What tea do the English drink?

There is one clear answer to the question: what tea do the English drink?  Typically, the British are known for their Builder’s Tea!!  That is a fairly strong brew of English Breakfast tea (a black tea), with added milk and sometimes sugar.  Indeed, English Breakfast Tea is the most commonly enjoyed variety and if you were at a friend’s house in the UK and were offered a cup of tea, it’s extremely likely you would be brought English Breakfast variety.  

Another popular type here is Earl Grey - a more floral black tea, sometimes drunk without milk.  It’s said that Her Majesty The Queen drinks a tea that mixes in a third of Earl Grey with two thirds of English Breakfast.  

The consumption of green tea is rising as well as fruit teas and peppermint tea (or even fresh mint tea).  Also millennials are known for swapping their dessert for a non-fattening, naturally-sweet tea.  We sell examples of this such as our Apple Pie Tea or Custard Tart Tea - flavoursome, sweet by nature and just right to end your meal.

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:5d9f06fe26e1db3660d9701a http://www.englishcreamtea.com/what-tea-do-the-english-drink What tea do the English Drink?

What tea do the English drink?

We Brits love our English Breakfast tea and lots of it!! Of course, some like it weak with lots of milk (and often, sugar too) and others like it so strong you can 'stand your spoon up in it' (not literally!).  Indeed, typically, the British are known for their Builder’s Tea - a strong brew of English Breakfast black tea (a black tea) with added milk.  This would more often be offered in a mug rather than a cup and saucer if you're in someone's home.


We've noticed in other countries that we'll be offered fruit tea, green tea and other varieties in friends' houses but over here in the UK, you will almost always be offered 'good ol' English Breakfast Tea'.  This might be made with loose leaf tea in a tea pot with a knitted tea cosy over the top to keep it warmer whilst it brews, too!!  That teapot might even be large and round and that's known as a Brown Betty!! 

 

Tea is an important punctuation mark throughout our day though and the phrase 'put the kettle on' can be heard throughout the land.  If there's a sadness, an occasion, a return from a trip, a friend visiting or just because....our answer is always to have a good British cuppa!

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:5d97480208c21a381c2839ee http://www.englishcreamtea.com/what-is-served-at-a-proper-english-tea What is served at a proper English Tea?

What is served at a proper English tea?


The question ‘what is served at a proper English tea’ is quite valid and the first thing to establish is whether you’re referring to an English Cream Tea OR British Afternoon Tea.  They’re slightly different offerings, though both are wonderful traditions that have been enjoyed here for eons.

English Cream Tea is a treat comprising scones, thick clotted cream, jam - plus a cup of tea.  
The scones are split into two and become the ‘vehicle’ for loading your clotted cream and jam on top!  Delicious.  English cream tea is a fairly inexpensive delight to order in cafes, tearooms, pubs and hotels all over the UK (including Wales, Scotland and Ireland!).  Ladies might stop for a cream tea with a friend whilst they are out shopping.  It’s considered a treat and it restores the energy ready to continue with the busy day!

However, Afternoon Tea is more substantial than a Cream Tea.  Afternoon Tea starts with a series of savoury items.  At the least this would be Sandwiches, daintily presented, often with the crusts cut off.  Other savouries might be offered too, such as Welsh Rarebit (warm Cheese on Toast) or Scotch Egg or warm scrambled eggs on toast/muffins.  The savouries are enjoyed as finger food or with cutlery - before the sweet food is offered.  

The sweet treats comprise an array of cakes or biscuits, meringues or macarons - little patisserie goodies like that…and of course, scones, with clotted cream and jam.  This is all enjoyed with copious cups of tea - usually English Breakfast or Earl Grey.

Afternoon Tea is associated with the great London hotels such as The Ritz or The Savoy.  Ladies often celebrate special birthdays like a 50th or 60th, by a trip to these hotels with friends for afternoon tea.  You would normally dress elegantly and enjoy the whole experience, which may take up to 2 hours.  It’s very special.  Even Nelson Mandela described British Afternoon Tea as our greatest export!

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:5d97461108c21a381c283079 http://www.englishcreamtea.com/why-is-it-called-a-cream-tea Why is it called a Cream Tea?

Why is it called cream tea?


It’s a good question to ask why is it called Cream Tea, when referring to the British custom you might have heard about.  A cream tea is a UK-based treat and luckily, it has nothing to do with pouring cream into your cup of tea.  That’s a very bad idea and best avoided!

Instead a Cream Tea comprises scones, thick cream (usually Clotted Cream), jam and a cup of tea.  It’s a cake-type treat enjoyed as a teatime (or elevenses) treat.  Most cafes, tearooms and hotels offer this in the UK, particularly those on the coast.  Stopping for a Cream Tea is a big tradition when on holiday.  

Scones are somewhat like American ‘biscuits’ but maybe lighter and more risen.  A taller scone is usually more admired than a flat, low ‘mean’ one!  Often they have sultanas or raisins baked into them too and you can buy savoury cheese scones as well.

Clotted Cream is traditionally made in Cornwall and Devon (the south west of the UK) and it’s an extremely thick, fresh and spreadable cream made by an ancient process of scalding full fat milk and letting the fats rise.  Very few countries stock the fresh version - and that’s what needs to be on your Bucket List.  You must try real and fresh Cornish or Devonshire Clotted Cream before you die! The UHT version available in many countries, is NOT the same.  

The Jam added to your scone half with the cream, is usually Strawberry but any preserve will be fine.  However, marmalade is NOT offered in the UK with a Cream Tea.  That’s for breakfast toast!

The final element is a good cup of tea, perhaps English Breakfast or Earl Grey.  

It’s a delicious treat and must be tried.  The highlight of it is considered to be the Clotted Cream though (and it’s very generously applied often!) and that’s why it’s called a Cream Tea!

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:5c87b6835389dcfff0d74678 http://www.englishcreamtea.com/no-scone-burgers-please-were-british No Scone Burgers please (we're British)!

Manners please - No 'Scone Burgers' at tea!

We know the most important thing is to enjoy your English Cream Tea. Of course that matters greatly. It's a treat, for sure and may be a lovely part of a day out somewhere with friends in a cafe, tearoom or hotel.  Perfect!  Your scone, cream, jam and a cuppa will be just the pick-me-up you deserve.

But if we could just politely request:

Do not pile both sides of the scone back together again once you've applied your cream and jam, to form a sort of scone 'burger'.  That is a no-no!   

Scone burger is bad manners

Why is it wrong to put the sides of the scones back together again?

 

  • Well, for a start, it's impossible to eat one of these 'burgers' without a big, squidgy, cream and jam explosion. It goes everywhere!
  • It's also not very nice to watch someone attempting this either! Believe me, I've had to as well :D
  • More importantly though - you're missing a trick because you can get MUCH more cream and jam on the two separate halves than a combined scone burger. And it's the cream and jam that are the crowning glories, whether you prefer it the Cornish way (jam first) or the Devonshire way (cream first)!

It's also nice etiquette if you break your scone halves into smaller pieces and just add jam and cream per bite, as you go.  Oh and whilst we're about it, it's a given (isn't it?) that you've remembered to break your scone in half in the first place (never cut a scone!) AND you've put your jam and cream on the side of the plate, right?  Ah yes, the rule there is to never dollop it straight onto your scone from the communal bowls of cream and jam. 

Oh the 'rules', the 'rules' - but mostly they're about consideration! It's about being dainty and nice when we're out enjoying English Cream Tea with other people and these are just some of the British etiquette tips and teatime manners around eating your scone. On the other hand, if you're at home and alone - you eat it any way you like it! No one is watching, so tuck on in!Scones & English Cream Tea by The English Cream Tea Co

English cream tea is a treat indeed and often forms part of the more extensive indulgence of afternoon tea, which includes sandwiches and possibly other savoury items as well as a wider selection of cakes.  That's quite the feast. London hotels like The Ritz are famous for afternoon tea. However, it's such a big treat that many people enjoy afternoon tea instead of lunch or supper as a result!

 

If you would like more information about the great tradition of Afternoon Tea or The English Cream Tea Company, please contact Jane and Roger on 01279 876661, visit the website or email.

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:5c8552595389dcfff0d12374 http://www.englishcreamtea.com/are-you-miffy-or-tiffy Are you Miffy or Tiffy?

Have you ever heard that expression before, Miffy or Tiffy? 

It refers to preferring milk first in your tea, or tea first and then adding milk (if using it) after!

A cup of black tea with milk jug and tea pot by www.englishcreamtea.com Some people feel very sure that the taste changes if they swap to having milk first or vice versa.  People like their cup of tea how they like it!!  It’s true. I usually enjoy a little milk but if the cup of tea passed to me is really pale and filled with the stuff, I just can’t drink it.  Hubby, on the other hand, loves about a quarter milk to three quarters of tea.  How could he!

So, Is Tea or Milk first the posh way?

Do you know which is the posh way to offer tea to your guests though?  Well regardless of whether you’ve got the mugs out or the best china, it’s best to use a teapot, ideal to use loose leaf tea if you can (and then a tea strainer) - but most importantly, we’re supposed to pour the tea in without milk.  Then you pass that tea to your guest along with a milk jug and sugar pot and they help themselves to the amount of milk/sugar that suits their tastes. 



There’s a few reasons for this:

  • One reason is that tea brewing can vary and how strong the tea will come out may not be known in advance.  Therefore pre-jPouring a cup of tea by The English Cream Tea Companyudging/pouring the milk in first, gambles on the tea being the perfect brew! 
  • Also, if you are using teabags, it’s not great to have the milk waiting in the cup/mug along with the teabag and having hot water poured onto both.  That really does change the taste - you’re effectively creating hot, watery milk with a teabag floating in it.
  • There’s another reason too - and it comes down to snobbery!  Back in Victorian times (“Upstairs, Downstairs” era or like the times shown in Downton Abbey), the staff and servants ‘below stairs’ used clay mugs/pottery for their tea.  These would not withstand super-hot liquids, so the milk HAD to be poured in first to diffuse the heat of the tea from the teapot.  Upstairs however, where the Lord and Lady or owners of the house had their tea, they used fine porcelain china and this would withstand the heat.  Therefore by pouring into them without milk first, you’re also signalling that you own the posh, expensive chinaware!

If you would like more information about our range of fine teas in loose leaf and pyramid tea bags or the great tradition of Afternoon Tea or The English Cream Tea Company, please contact us on 01279 876661, visit the website or email.
 

urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:5c854e6c5389dcfff0d121e3 http://www.englishcreamtea.com/the-uncivil-history-of-afternoon-tea-bad-behaviour-behind-the-teapot The Uncivil History of Afternoon Tea (bad behaviour behind the teapot)!

How could the History of Afternoon Tea possibly be Uncivil?

Nelson Mandela called the custom of taking afternoon tea, Britain’s greatest export!  I couldn’t agree more and treasure this tradition with its treats, manners and etiquette.  However,  when I was researching my book  Scone or Scon(e) - the essential guide to British Afternoon Tea there were more than a few Afternoon tea cake stand by www.englishcreamtea.comshocking examples of bad behaviour behind the teapot to be found.


To spite your face:


The first advert for tea appeared in Britain in 1658, when it was called ‘tee’!  However, King Charles II put huge taxes onto the tea leaves landing in Britain and that, along with the high profits of The East India Tea Company (who held the monopoly as the only legal importer to Great Britain) led directly to tea-smuggling. The south west of England is renowned for tales of smuggled tea often brought to shore by sailors and then hidden in underground passages or even the parish church. What was also renowned was the force and power of some of the gangs involved. There are truly gruesome accounts of their brutality and murder including literally cutting people’s noses off.

William Pitt the Younger (prime minister aged 25!) resolved the situation by his removal in 1784 of those heavy taxes, so that all classes could enjoy the drink and by mid-18th century, tea had actually become Great Britain’s most popular drink and smuggling had ended.


A nice cup of Willow?


Tea leaves by The English Cream Tea CompanyThere still was a problem with ‘adulterated’ tea though, which was mixed with cheaper bulkers (such as willow or even dried used tea!) and a further act of Parliament: the Food and Drug Act of 1875 ensured there were really stiff penalties for such actions.  However, are you struck by a similarity to other products that are smuggled, offered by gangs and sometimes adulterated - and the fact that consumers and suppliers then were known as tea-users and tea-dealers? History has surprisingly modern twists at times.

We know about tea in leaf form and of course, about tea bags.  Did you know though, there was a time during the 18th century, when tea was landed from the ships, in the form of compressed lumps or bricks, convenient for the shipping process. Unfortunately, what is not so appealing, is that to create the lumps/bricks, the tea was mixed with binding agents which included manure or blood and then left to dry.


Gosh - not for me thanks! I don’t feel thirsty all of a sudden!  


However, I wonder if there are any more new examples of bad behaviour behind the teapot to emerge? We only have to look back over the last year for more bad behaviour behind the teapot, when it’s at last become apparent that tea bag makers have often been using plastics in their processing (so we’ve been pouring hot water onto plastic to then drink).  I’m pleased my company’s teabags are made from biodegradable cornstarch and I can safely enjoy a great cuppa!

If you would like more information about tea, the great tradition of Afternoon Tea or The English Cream Tea Company, please contact Jane and Roger on 01279 876661, visit the website or email.


urn:store:58a210c0b035303e6836c3fd:blog:post:5c854c8e5389dcfff0d104bd http://www.englishcreamtea.com/does-etiquette-matter Does Etiquette Matter


To the question: 'Does etiquette matter?', the answer is 'more than ever'.


Watching jeering MPs on television
 or seeing truly hideous comments by trolls on social media, you might well conclude that we have lost all sense of manners and courteousness in this country - and many others where you see newsclips displaying us all at our worst behaviour.

I gave a TEDx talk called How Afternoon Tea Could Save The World.  I absolutely believe that to be true!  Indeed, it’s even more important than before that we appreciate and treasure the civility and etiquette of the great British custom of afternoon tea.  This tradition embodies the very ‘best of British’, actually the 'best of humanity' and represents us at our kindest and most considerate selves, in rapport, sharing, caring and kind to the needs of others.  

Etiquette is not Snobbery!


We must understand that etiquette is not about snobbery. It’s nothing to do with having ideas above one’s station or anything snooty or la-di-dah!

Far from being about ‘class division’, it’s actually all about caring for others - and that’s something everyone appreciates.

Last polite cakes, 'after you' at afternoon tea from Scone or Scone by Jane Malyon


At afternoon tea it’s about listening, passing the plates, pouring other people’s tea first, not taking the biggest/best bits but offering them around.  It’s about being in rapport and giving your attention, creating quality time with others.  Does etiquette matter?  If being kind to others matters, then yes!

Little finger out when sipping tea?


Does it matter if you know the actual niceties of whether you hold your little finger out when lifting your cup, if it’s pronounced ‘scone’ or ‘scon’, whether tea or milk should go in the cup first or when you should place your napkin (or is it a serviette?!) on your lap etc? Napkin on plate by www.englishcreamtea.com

Well, those things are useful to know about because they can eliminate any concerns about ‘doing it right’ whether you’re with your in-laws, boss, friends or clients.
Of course they are not vital, but if they can give a touch more confidence, then that’s all good.  The answers are here by the way, if you’d like to be sure!

However,  it will never be old-fashioned to be considerate and able to make people around you known they are cared for and nurtured.  It’s a joy to be in the presence of someone who makes you feel that way, right? That’s why, when asked ‘does etiquette matter’, we should all give a resounding YES!

If you would like more information about the great tradition of Afternoon Tea or The English Cream Tea Company, please contact Jane and Roger on 01279 876661, visit the website or email.