The long-running debate over whether to apply jam or cream first to a scone continues, with a 2025 blind taste test indicating a preference for jam first. Tom Woodley, founder of The Cornish Company, stated that 69% of participants in their test preferred jam first, citing that it allows sweetness to soak into the scone before the clotted cream.
Conversely, Ellie Emberson, director of Truly Treats bakery in Devon, advocates for cream first, comparing it to putting butter on bread before jam. This culinary discussion has historically divided Cornwall, which typically favours jam first, and Devon, which prefers cream first.
Food historian Dr Neil Buttery suggests that cream teas may have originated around 1900, evolving from using 'splits' to scones. He also noted that the method of preparing clotted cream, whether baked or centrifuged, could influence the preference for cream or jam first due to its thickness.
Jane Malyon, a cream tea expert, advises breaking a scone in half with hands rather than cutting it, to preserve its fluffy texture. She also suggests that while regional preferences exist, individuals should ultimately prepare their cream tea as they wish.