Do you put cream or jam on your scone first? The great British debate has finally been solved
![Jam should be slathered on your scone before cream, the nation rules [Photo: Getty]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/TsEP8Lk6PLoboDikmEnQVA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04Mjg-/https://media-mbst-pub-ue1.s3.amazonaws.com/creatr-uploaded-images/2019-08/a002b8a0-ca53-11e9-befc-b10e5778b2ad)
Cream tea has long reigned as the nation’s most beloved tradition but one question has continued to divide Brits since the 11th century - should cream or jam be spread on a scone first?
Well, the debate may have been solved once and for all, as a new survey of 2,000 tea enthusiasts revealed that 52% of us believe that jam should be spread before digging into the pot of clotted cream.
In stark contrast, the revelatory research conducted by Village Hotel Club discovered that 25% of Brits disagree with this teatime habit and prefer to smother their scone in cream first.
A further 19% are impartial (although they’re clearly not true cream tea fans if you ask us).
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The news is sure to please one cream tea devotee in particular, as the Queen famously follows the jam-before-cream rule over at Buckingham Palace.
Last year, Darren McGrady, who served as Her Majesty’s chef during the years 1982 to 1993, took to Twitter to bring an end to the 1,000-year-old debate.
The former royal chef wrote: “The Queen always had homemade Balmoral jam first with clotted cream on top at Buckingham Palace garden parties in the royal tea tent and all royal tea parties.”
The Queen always had home-made Balmoral jam first ( @tiptree little scarlet when we ran out) with clotted cream on top at Buckingham Palace garden parties in the Royal tea tent and all Royal tea parties. https://t.co/fTAyuwGxcs
— The Royal Chef (@DarrenMcGrady) March 15, 2018
But this is sure to leave those in Devon furious, as they prefer to slather a scone in cream before finishing with a dollop of fresh jam.
If that’s not enough grounds for debate over dinner tonight then the fact that 56% of survey participants pronounce scone as “sc-on” (to rhyme with ‘gone’) is sure to infuriate some.
In comparison, just 44% pronounce the word as “sc-oan” (to rhyme with ‘phone’).
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Feeling peckish after all of this talk of cream tea?
Well, the survey also revealed that the perfect time for scones is 3pm on a lovely summer’s day. The most popular sandwiches to make the menu include egg and cress alongside the classic cucumber.
So what do you make of the great scone debate?
