Scones are a British afternoon tea staple and they’re delicious served with jam and clotted cream. Not quite cake, but not really a biscuit or pastry either, scones have a unique texture that’s entirely their own. Scones are traditionally made with flour, butter, sugar and milk, but it’s the quality of the accompaniments, particularly cream, that elevates them on afternoon tea menus. For cafés, hotels and professional afternoon tea suppliers, sourcing high quality dairy is just as important as the bake itself.
But where did the recipe originate from? Scones date much further back than you might think, so if you want to know, read on for a brief history of the scone.
The first scones
Scones are thought to have originated in Scotland in the early 1500s and the first known print reference was made by a Scottish poet in 1513. Scones were originally made using oats, shaped into a large round and scored into four or six wedges. They were then griddle baked over an open fire, although today’s versions are made with flour and baked in the oven.
The word is thought to have originated from the Dutch “schoonbrot,” meaning fine white bread; and the closely-related German “sconbrot,” which means fine or beautiful bread.
The height of fashion
Around 1840, scones became an essential part of the fashionable ritual of afternoon tea in England. This was popularised by Anna, the Duchess of Bedford, who was a close friend of Queen Victoria. One afternoon she requested some ‘light food’, which included tea, biscuits and scones. It’s said that she enjoyed it so much that she ordered it every afternoon and the English ritual of ‘Afternoon Tea’ was born – a tradition that continues today across cafés, hotels and specialist afternoon tea suppliers throughout the UK
Jam or cream first?
Much debate surrounds the ‘correct’ way to eat a scone, so how do you eat yours? Cream tea is very popular in both Devon and Cornwall but the main difference is how they eat their scones. In Cornwall, jam is added first to allow it to sink into the warm scone and then clotted cream is added on top.
In Devon, it’s the other way round, with clotted cream spread first to create a barrier between the runny jam and the scone.
Supplying cream and dairy for afternoon tea
You can’t enjoy a scone without jam or cream, and for afternoon tea menus, quality ingredients make all the difference. As a trusted wholesale cream supplier, Freshways offers a range of cream products, including clotted cream, ideal for cafés and hotels.
Alongside cream, we supply a full range of wholesale dairy and foodservice products across the UK, including butter, spreads, milk, eggs, cheeses and bakery items. If you’re a trade customer, you can apply for a Freshways account to access our full range and get set up quickly. For more information or to discuss your requirements, give our team a call or contact us online.
