Lashings of fresh sea air is bound to make you peckish, and there’s no better way to fill the gap between lunch and dinner than with a quintessential cream tea by the sea.
Britain’s love affair with tea harks back to 1662, and a flurry of tearooms opened across the country in the 18th century, soon after Thomas Twining launched the trend in London.
But it was when visitors began heading to the seaside in the 19th century that it became customary for tearooms, farmhouses and cafés to welcome tourists with tea, scones, clotted cream and strawberry jam. Cream tea has been a staple of British beach life ever since.
Whether you prefer to pile on the jam or cream first, here are some of the best places in the UK for cream tea by the sea.
Carnewas Tearooms, Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall
Of all the places for a cream tea in Cornwall, we suggest you plump for this traditional family-run tearoom on the cliff tops at Bedruthan Steps. Why? Because right on the doorstep of one of Cornwall’s most incredible natural wonders, the warm and wonderful scones, piled high with homemade jam and Cornish clotted cream (in that order, if you please), are as much of an attraction as the mighty rock stacks that made this place famous in the first place. Make a beeline for this clifftop tearoom while staying on the Cornish coast.
Burgh Island, Devon
What sets a Devonshire cream tea apart from its Cornish counterpart is that tradition dictates you spread a generous layer of cream beneath the lashings of jam. And while both counties will swear that their method is superior, there’s no arguing that – however you layer your jam and cream – one of the best spots for cream tea while on holiday in Devon is Burgh Island. Arrive by sea tractor and take a seat in the fancy Art Deco lounge, where you can soak up the coastal panorama while sipping loose leaf tea from dainty cups, accompanied by fluffy scones that crumble ever-so-slightly under a mighty dollop of cream and jam.
Pavilion Gardens Café, Brighton, East Sussex
Located near the iconic Brighton Pavilion, this open-air café has become somewhat of an institution in one of the UK’s most popular seaside towns. Take a seat in the garden just a short walk from the sea, for a simply delicious cream tea while soaking up the vibrant atmosphere of one of Brighton’s main attractions, where this little café has been feeding the community for over 80 years. An essential stop during a seaside holiday in Brighton.
The Whitehouse Inn, Whitby, North Yorkshire
When you’re out exploring a seaside town as elegant and historic as Whitby, why not push the boat out and indulge in an afternoon tea to match the setting? At this clifftop inn your traditional English afternoon tea doesn’t stop at delectable scones, speciality teas and sensational panoramas of the Yorkshire coastline. Your tiered tray of local ingredients also comes with finger sandwiches, pastries, homemade cakes and a glass of Prosecco.
Hartley’s Tea Room, St Bees, Cumbria
Whether you’ve worked up an appetite in the peaks or on the beaches of the Lake District, this lovely local café nudging the shoreline at St Bees has often been lauded as the best place for afternoon tea in Cumbria. Moist, crumbly scones with jam and clotted cream are the firm favourites for fuelling up before and after a seaside stroll, but there are also lots of homemade cakes and savouries stuffed with the best local ingredients.
The Grand Café, Swanage, Dorset
If you’re looking for a stylish setting for cream tea while on holiday on the Dorset coast, take a seat at The Grand Café, where panoramic views of Swanage Bay accompany the light, crumbly scones and clotted cream from local dairies. Traditional tea service is all part of the experience, and a special High Tea is available with 24-hour notice.
The Old Town Beach Café, Old Hunstanton, Norfolk
After a stomp along Old Hunstanton beach – the sand between your toes and the sea breeze bringing a rosy glow to your cheeks – head into this shoreside café for a truly local cream tea experience with the sound of the waves in the background. It’s a lovely seaside setting where families, dogs and walkers step off the beach for fresh-from-the-oven scones served with strawberry-packed jam and oodles of cream. A visit here is a must if staying in one of our sea view cottages in Old Hunstanton or a nearby holiday home on the Norfolk coast.
Y Gegin Fawr (The Big Kitchen), Aberdaron, North Wales
Take a seaside sojourn to the western tip of the Llŷn Peninsula, where one of the oldest cafés in the country awaits just footsteps from Aberdaron’s mile-long stretch of beach. Step inside and lap up the olde-world charm of this 13th-century cottage, and rest assured as you tuck into a cream tea crammed with Welsh ingredients that – having served food here for over 700 years – they’ve had plenty of time to perfect the recipe for some of the finest scones in the region.
The Shore Café, Dunoon, Scotland
Nudging the glassy shores of the Holy Loch, this hidden gem boasting eye-popping views of the water and the mountains is definitely one to seek out as your cream tea pilgrimage takes you across the border on a coastal holiday in Scotland. Priding itself on quality ingredients and homemade food, it’s a true local’s hangout for a fine cuppa and still-warm scones, as well other home-baked treats stuffed with the best Scottish flavours.
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