Devonshire Tea: The Definitive Guide

Devonshire Tea: The Definitive Guide

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Posted 2021-11-09 by Roy Chambersfollow
Devonshire Tea, or to give it its proper and more general name, Cream Tea, is a combination of milk tea, scones, jam and cream. Here is a guide about what it is, how to eat it properly and where to find the best Devonshire Teas in Australia.



The experience

Around Australia, especially in country cafes, but also in cities and even fancy hotels, you will find a menu item listing titled Devonshire Tea. Everyone knows what they will be getting. Nice warm scones served with what is hopefully homemade jam and some cream. Milk tea usually accompanies the scones, though more and more people are substituting coffee instead.



For me, and I think for many others, it is something associated with the countryside. A charming little afternoon ritual that evokes a bygone but sadly missed simpler time. We delight in the simple deliciousness of it all. Yes, it won't be long before we are back in the city with our double shot soy cappuccinos with extra chocolate on top or a wide selection of pastries to enjoy with our order, but for this one throwback moment, we can enjoy what our parents or grandparents enjoyed and be happy.

The origins

The combination of jam and cream eaten with bread or a scone seems to date back a long way, in fact to the 11th century in England. But the term cream tea and its local variants are decidedly modern. The earliest use of the term in writing is from the 1930s, but it didn't really become a term used commonly until the 1960s.

Of course, that doesn't mean that people weren't having scones, jam and cream in tea houses around England before that, it is just that it wasn't something that people gave a name to. This is why you get different names for this around the UK.

The name

In Australia, the most common name is Devonshire Tea. Some people will insist it should be called a cream tea or even an afternoon tea. People from Cornwall are still forlornly hoping people will adopt the term Cornish Tea.

Ultimately, the name doesn't matter. Many cafes will have scones with jam and cream listed on the menu without mention of Devon or Cornwall at all. So really the name doesn't matter.

The cream

One of the key controversies is the type of cream used. Traditionally it was served with clotted cream, while in Australia it is almost always served with whipped cream, also known as Chantilly cream. If you haven't heard of clotted cream, it is made by a slow heating and cooling process. The result is an unsweetened cream that has a consistency more like butter. Meanwhile whipped or Chantilly cream (or crème Chantilly if you want to be fancy) is created through a process of whipping so that air is suspended in the mixture. It is usually sweetened.

The order of the jam and the cream

Now what really matters, of course, more than the type of cream, is the order of jam and cream. Which shouldn't even really be a debate at all. Some sources state that in Devon the cream goes first and the jam on top, and in Cornwall, it is the other way around. Then, of course, others make opposite claims.

But the real answer is about the type of cream you use. If you are using clotted cream, which has a consistency similar to butter, of course, the cream goes on the scone before the jam. After all, you don't put butter on top of your jam, so why would you do the same with clotted cream. Meanwhile, whipped cream is all about the air bubbles colloidally suspended in the cream. If you try and put jam on top, it will lose its consistency and just become runny, and the air is much of what makes whipped cream so nice. So of course, whipped cream goes on top.

Best Devonshire teas around Australia

What makes a Devonshire tea an experience is not just the texture and freshness of the scones, the type of jam used and its quality, or even the cream. What really matters is the atmosphere. Sometimes it is part of an elegant afternoon tea experience, other times rough but friendly country charm is the most important ingredient. This is not a definitive list. If you have any suggestions or know a great place for afternoon tea, add them to the comments below.

In Brisbane there is really only one elegant place to enjoy a special afternoon tea with scones, and that is the Room with Roses within the heritage-listed Brisbane Arcade. Enjoy raspberry scones with raspberries baked in, raspberry jam, and whipped cream. You have a variety of loose leaf teas to enjoy with your scones.



Maybe it is because I grew up in northern Australia but I associate Devonshire tea with tropical rainforests in mountains. It is as far away as you can get from a little teahouse in Devon or Cornwall, but the rainforest smells, the cool mountain air and tea, scones and jam make a good combination. Devonshire teas are a common choice among people in lots of rainforest cafes across the country. One I would recommend is the lovely Lake Barrine Teahouse in the Atherton Tableland in Far North Queensland.



I completely forgot about this place in Sydney until I was putting together this list. The Cafe at the Gallery in the NSW Art Gallery is well known for its Devonshire teas. You get a single large and fluffy scone served with jam and cream. It is a great way to take a break from the great art in the gallery.

Outside of Sydney, you will be spoilt for choice in the Blue Mountains. It is like everyone there does Devonshire teas, including pie shops and truck stops. As I am only recommending one place, I have to go with the Megalong Valley Tearooms. I chose this because it is down in the Megalong Valley, which is the second-largest canyon in the world, and while they offer a lot of things, many people come here just for the scones.



In Melbourne, one standout choice is The Stables of Como, located in the National Trust Protected Como House in South Yarra. You have to put together your own Devonshire Tea order as it is not a set menu item, but that is fine. Just remember, ask for more jam if you are ordering more than one scone.

If you are heading outside of Melbourne, you will find lots of cafes and tea houses with a traditional feel. In the Yarra Valley, Watson's Creek Antique Cafe, takes you back in time with antiques, which can put you in the right mood for milk tea, scones, cream and jam.

Of course, Adelaide tries to do things a little differently. One of the best options is the Popeye Devonshire Tea Cruise. While the scones and jam come in a cardboard box and the tea in a paper cup, it is still pretty good. And that is not just compared to many cruises scones and tea, but they outright nice scones, jam and cream. Then there is the view as you cruise the Torrens River.


When heading out to the Barossa Valley, you may look for a nice historic place to find some classic Devonshire tea. The Gawler Heritage Cafe is within a converted train station.

Being the most remote capital city in the world, Perth does a lot of amazing food and tea just because they know how to look to themselves come up with better options. But every famous cafe or teahouse that I know of in the heart of Perth shuns Devonshire Tea, and while you might be able to get scones in some of the spots, it seems you have to head to the outskirts of Perth or head to Fremantle if you want your classic scones, jam and cream combo. For this reason, Inn Mahogany Creek, which is a bit outside of Perth, is where Perth people head to for Devonshire Teas in a very stylish location.

The Margaret River region in Western Australia is where you expect to find Devonshire teas, and of course, you find it nearly everywhere. The Cape Lavender Tea House features the scent of Lavender. While it is the smell of old ladies homes, it is something which is taken up by new generations, while still also bringing feelings of comfort and home. Both the scones and the jam are flavoured with lavender. Unless you really, really hate lavender, here is a teahouse that is taking something traditional and bringing it into the modern world.

Overall

Jams and scones are not that sophisticated, and tea is just tea, right. Yet, we forget how good a homemade jam is, or the joy of the perfect scone made with the chef's secret recipe and process. This may be why Devonshire Teas will never go out of fashion and are found everywhere from top hotels to country cafes.

#afternoon_tea
#australian_restaurants
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#food_wine
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127267 - 2023-06-13 03:57:55

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