What Makes a Proper Devon Cream Tea

A cream tea in Devon is a simple thing done well: a freshly baked scone, a generous spoonful of clotted cream, a dollop of jam and a pot of tea. The scone should be warm, faintly crumbly and never doughy in the middle. Plain or fruit, it arrives split in two, and you build it yourself at the table.

Here in Devon the cream goes on first, spread thickly like butter, with the jam spooned on top. Across the Tamar they do it the other way round, and the argument has been running for centuries. Do it the Devon way while you are here; nobody will ask you to sign anything, but you may get a patient look if you don't.

Look for clotted cream with a deep yellow crust and a thick, spoonable texture. The good stuff is made from whole milk in small dairies, often within a few miles of where you are sitting, and it should taste of cream rather than sugar. Anything pre-whipped and piped from a nozzle is a warning sign.

Village Tearooms and Where to Sit

The classic setting is a low-beamed tearoom in a thatched village, a few tables in a garden, and a serving hatch that has not changed in decades. Dartmoor's stannary towns and the Exmoor villages of Lynton and Lynmouth are thick with them, as are the small harbours at Appledore and Clovelly. Garden centres and National Trust properties are dependable too, especially when the weather turns.

• When to go: cream teas are usually served from about 2.30pm to 5pm, though many rural places run them all day. Arrive before 4pm for the best choice of scones.
• What it costs: expect roughly £6 to £9 for a cream tea and £12 to £16 for a full afternoon tea with sandwiches and cake.
• Book ahead: in July and August, and on any sunny Sunday, phone first. A table for four at 3pm is not a given.
• Smaller places may still prefer cash, so carry a little with you.

If a tearoom offers a Devon split alongside the scones, order one. It is a soft, enriched bun, split and filled with jam and cream, and it is arguably the older West Country tradition.

Independent Bakeries Worth a Detour

Devon's market towns are the place to hunt for proper bakeries. Tavistock, Totnes, South Molton, Okehampton, Kingsbridge and Crediton all support at least one shop that bakes on site, usually from before dawn. The giveaway is the smell when you open the door and a tray of sausage rolls coming out of the oven at eleven.

• Buy in the morning for bread, pasties and lardy cake; by mid-afternoon the shelves are thin.
• Ask what is local. A good counter will tell you which farm the cream came from and who made the marmalade.
• Order ahead for a picnic or a larger group, particularly for scones and pasties, which sell out fast on market day.
• Try the plain loaf. Sourdough, malted granary and traditional cottage loaves are often better than anything you will find at a supermarket.

Market days are worth planning around. Livestock markets and pannier markets still run weekly in several towns, with stalls selling cheese, honey and preserves alongside the bakers.

Farm Shops and Rural Pit Stops

Farm shops are where Devon's food is at its most direct. Many sell their own clotted cream, milk, yoghurt and ice cream, plus preserves made in the next village. Some are little more than a converted barn with a chiller cabinet and an honesty box; others have a café with a view over the fields.

A few things to look for:

• Chilled clotted cream in tubs, dated within the last few days. It keeps for around five days in the fridge and freezes well if you are driving home.
• Local preserves: strawberry and raspberry are standard, but look for blackberry and apple, damson and quince in autumn.
• Cider and apple juice from orchards in the south of the county, often sold in refillable bottles.
• A bench. Half the pleasure is eating a scone outdoors with a view, and most of these places expect you to.

Judging a Good Scone, and Other Practicalities

Devon's lanes are narrow and parking in village centres is limited, so build in time and be ready to walk a few hundred yards. Larger car parks in towns are usually free for the first hour or two, and pay-and-display elsewhere.

To spot a scone worth the calories, check three things: it should feel light for its size, it should break apart rather than squash, and it should be warm but not hot. If it is served already assembled, ask for it unbuilt. You will get more cream, and you will be able to judge it properly.

Finally, remember that many small tearooms close from November to Easter, or open only at weekends. Ring before making a long journey in winter, and expect shorter hours on Mondays and Tuesdays year-round.

Seasonal Notes and Taking Devon Home

Spring and early summer are the best months for garden seating and for strawberries in the jam. Late summer brings blackberries and early apples, and autumn is the season for damson, quince and orchard produce, often appearing on tearoom menus within days of picking.

If you want to carry the experience home, buy a jar of clotted cream, a pot of locally made jam and a bag of plain flour, and bake the scones yourself. Fresh cream from a Devon dairy will not taste the same once you are back on a motorway, but it travels well in a cool box with a freezer block. Scones, happily, are best eaten within an hour of baking, which is a good excuse to make a second batch.