Monday, April 12, 2010

Tea Party Tuesday



Welcome to Tea Party Tuesday. Today I want to treat you to a traditional Devon cream tea.  It is tea served with fresh baked scones and strawberry preserves and wonderful clotted cream that is thick and gloppy.  Is that a word?  Well gloppy describes what it looks like! It is delicious.

Here in the United States people think that tea has to be  fancy, but this is a typical cream tea: a metal teapot, little glass pots for the jam and Devon cream and simple white tea cups on a tray.


You can buy Devon cream in specialty shops here but it isn't nearly as good  the clotted cream they have in Devon,  so we're going to England to the little town of Lustleigh in Devon.  This is not a movie set.  It is a real town and people actually live here.  I've been to Devon, but not to this town.
Aren't these homes charming?
 Primrose Cottage was on a list of the best tea rooms in Britain.


Look at that thatched roof. Isn't it amazing?
On the right hand corner of the building you can see a yellow sign leaning against the wall. It probably looks just like just like this: a blackboard with the menu written with chalk.


Here is a table set for cream tea.

                                      and another one.  I love this teapot.

Tea at Primrose Cottage  will probably look  more like this with a simple brown betty teapot and a wood table with placemats

It's a long way home so I suggest we spend the night at The Cleave.



This is a sign at the entrance to The Cleave!  Another chalkboard sign.

England is a long way to travel for a cup of tea, but it's well worth it.  I hope you enjoyed our traditional Devon cream tea.  I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself too as you visit the other tea parties on Tea Party Tuesday.

Rhondi xo

If you are having a tea party and want to link with me, here is what to do:
Write your post and include a link to my blog.
Use my tea party button if you'd like.
Publish your post, then come visit me and sign in with Mr Linky.
Thanks for joining me today!

33 comments:

  1. Rhondi, This post is absolutely gorgeous! I loved my trip to England for tea and I especially loved drinking tea from the blue transferware cups. Thanks for hosting the party and thanks for having me to an English tea.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous post..what a wonderful celebration of tea..Beautiful! I am enchanted!
    Awesome post!
    Kiki~

    ReplyDelete
  3. How wonderful to take a trip over the pond. Scones are a big thing over this part of the world too and yours look fantastic.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just loved visiting the cottages with you! The thatch roofed houses are so much fun to see in person--on a trip many years ago, we were able to see one. My daughter and I plan to visit again someday! ♥♫

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just love English teas with clotted cream! So delicious! I've only had a true high tea once at the Empress hotel in Victoria, BC..I loved it! Thanks for sharing these beautiful tea houses..someday I hope to go too!

    Miss Bloomers

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh my, what a lovely tea party. I love the beautiful cottages. And the tea looks so wonderful. I would love to try it one day. Thanks for sharing them today.

    Jocelyn
    http://justalittlesouthernhospitality.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Beautifully done, Rhondi! Lovely photos and put together so well. I also had tea--in a Wareham cottage in Dorset... wow it was a thrill of a lifetime for me! We'll miss you thursday night!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a gorgeous little English village! I love cream teas! And I do think that gloppy is a great word to describe clotted cream! :-) Simple teapots are my favorites! I have a Brown Betty that I use a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  9. OMGosh, this is amazing. Those desserts are awesome looking.
    What adorable homes with the cute roofs..I would love to go to England some day.
    I love all kinds of teapots but especially love the solid, plain white ones. Beautiful.
    Thanks so much for hosting. I just LOVE playing Tea Party...:))

    ReplyDelete
  10. The place looks marvelous. The scones and jam looks yummy and the blue teapot set just beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Rhondi, how delightful! Over here we call this a "Devonshire Tea" - Tea (or coffee for those who prefer, but traditionally with tea, served with hot scones, jam and cream. I secretly love to eat them with melting butter rather than cream...mmmmm.... You can order them in lots of small cafes, but the nices ones are the ones you make yourself. Which is so funny to read your post this afternoon because my son asked me this morning, "Mummy can you have some scones ready for us when we get home from school this afternoon". I was just about to make a start and then saw your post. I think I will make it really special for them now. Thanks for the inspiration and for sharing those lovely photos of the cottages.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hi Rhondi!

    What a wonderful post today! I enjoyed my tour of Devon! Every picture was just so much fun!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. That looks so inviting. I'd love to visit there someday. The tea and scones, jam and cream...out of this world. Do you make them too just like that? Wow. I have to come to your house for tea!!!! ((hugs))

    ReplyDelete
  14. You have posted about a palce I have never been to but is my list of places to see when we next go the UK! I can't wait now I have seen these beautiful pictures!

    Thank you for having me today Rhondi.

    Best wishes,
    Natasha.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh Rhonda, thanks for sharing this wonderful post and now you make me crave for some cream tea too! and going to the country side, always a lovely place to visit.. especially when they have beautiful sceneries to enjoy!

    Have a good week!
    xo
    fitty

    ReplyDelete
  16. What a wonderful post! The thatch-roofed cottages look like pages out of a fairy-tale! The tea simply done with clotted cream would suit me just fine. In my husband's family afternoon tea is quite simple as well. They have small tea glasses they use rather than the traditional tea cup we know. The tea is strong and is severed with sugar, never cream. The first time I poured milk in my tea I thought he would gag! Biscuits (cookies) are always served with the tea. Tea is typically served around 4 or when you visit friends or family in the afternoon. My husband is from Lebanon.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hello Rhondi
    I enjoyed the visit to some English cottages and tea served with all the good things.
    It was interesting to see that some put their jam on top of the cream, while others have it underneath. I prefer to have a dollop on top of the jam myself but either way is yummy.
    Judith

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great post, Rhondi. Love the houses, so charming!
    xo
    Robin

    ReplyDelete
  19. Rhondi, I feel as if I've just been to the English countryside. Love those thatched roof dwellings, the scones and cream, and the beautiful settings. Makes me want to hop a plane this morning. Thanks for taking us along.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Rhondi,
    I have never been to England - but you have transported me there! Thank you for sharing the loveliest tea party! I wish I had some clotted cream slathered on a scone right now!
    <>< Concetta

    ReplyDelete
  21. I have been to England many times and love the quaint, darling little spots for tea. Since I can't be there right now, your post just transported me there with your lovely photos. Thank you for a beautiful post and your Tuesday Tea Party!!

    Love,
    Susan and Bentley
    xxoo

    ReplyDelete
  22. Rhondi, I'm a huge tea drinker and I want to go to England right now-LOL! Thanks for sharing these delightful pictures with us!

    ReplyDelete
  23. I enjoyed my tea time. What a delightful post.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Nice to meet you Rhondi! Love your blog. The buns and cream made me think of my visit to England and discovering Sally Lund's buns in Windsor and Bath. Yum.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh it is all sooo charming! I really enjoyed the tour. laurie

    ReplyDelete
  26. Charming, Rhondi! I loved your photos and your cream tea. I have had several in London over the years and it was divine every single time!
    And yes, glop is a great word!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I so love to travel! Thanks for the afternoon tea! I think I shall refresh my cup of earl grey and enjoy a few more of your older posts today before I go.
    Have a lovely day... Rose

    ReplyDelete
  28. The cream tea looks so yummy! Love scones, jam and cream!

    I would love to visit all those pretty thatched houses!

    Katherine

    ReplyDelete
  29. I'm so late for tea because I've been gardening every day for a week! Have to take advantage of this lovely weather and get out there.

    Primrose Cottage is a wonderful Devonshire tea room and just about 30 mins. from my home. I've been there many times. Lustleigh is a truly picturesque village - anyone traveling through Devon should try to go there - it's close to Dartmoor also.

    While at school, I worked Saturdays in a dairy shop where I was known as "the Devonshire Cream girl"!! I served it from a huge bowl, spooning it into tubs for takeaway and also into mailing cans for tourists to mail to friends all over the UK. I always got to lick the bowl at closing time......gorgeous cream in those days.

    ReplyDelete
  30. I have been to that tearoom as my dad lives in the next village called Bovey Tracy. When ever I go and visit him we go to tea there. Have a great day Englishteacup(Lynne)

    ReplyDelete
  31. Oh my, I just LOVE scones, so I had some nice views! ;)
    Good luck with your new business!!!

    Hugs, Carolien

    ReplyDelete
  32. "LOVE, LOVE, LOVE that gloppy stuff"! I always have such fun here with you. I've added this quaint destination to my travel wishlist now! Oh My is that list growing!!! Do you have a recipe for clotted cream that you use??? I've googled a few and bookmarked them BUT I would LOVE to know what you use???
    I'm new at blogging and am not set up yet other than my website that you are welcome to check out. I design and build cobbled cottages, SO my heart is always in these beautiful little villages and I "Thank you SO much for this post"...
    Donna in Connecticut
    http://www.cobbledcottages.com/

    ReplyDelete

Hi
Thanks so very much for taking the time to leave a comment. I always read every one. I am glad you stopped by for a visit. Hope you'll come again!
Rhondi