HISTORIAN Neil Oliver has sparked a heated debate online after saying that anyone that puts jam before cream on a scone is a “filthy degenerate belonging in a zoo”.
The 54-year-old broadcaster said yesterday evening that cream should always be placed on a scone first when making cream tea.
Oliver, who lives in Stirling, told his 78,000 followers: “Cream first, then jam.
“To each their own but anyone doing the other is a filthy degenerate belonging in a zoo.”
The BBC Coast and Vikings star made the comments yesterday in response to a tweet from actor John Challis, who played Boycie in Only Fools and Horses, who tweeted: “Be aware! @POTUS If you eat your Cornish cream tea @Jam_First you will be the best thing since sliced bread!”
The post has over 800 likes and more than 200 comments from followers debating over the perfect cream tea routine.
@BySpoke wrote: “NOOOOOO! I liked you. I respected you. I thought yours was the delighted accented voice of reason. And it turns out you are the Anti Christ!”
@Tess1462 said: “Jam first, always, its logical, cream sits on jam nicely, is a lovely base for the yummy cream. It’s this way or don’t bother!”
@MneTrevor commented: “Jam on top of cream encourages the cream to split and soak into the scone – resulting in a catastrophic breakup when you pick it up. Just saying.”
@Glassman_DS added: “Clotted cream should be dolloped on a scone. How can you spread jam on top of a dollop of clotted cream?”
“It’s not physically possible. Unless you scrimp on the cream, spreading it like butter in a thin schmear. I may have to unfollow you @thecoastguy.”
@MPC3675 said: “As a resident of Cornwall, but not accepted as a native yet as I’ve only been here 30 years, I’m reliably informed that as scones are best eaten warm, the jam must go on first otherwise the clotted cream melts all over the place.”
And @DuncanMaxwell1 added: “Neil, have you tried spreading jam on an inch of clotted cream? A great man you are, but not superman, please provide your methodology.”
However, many fans did agree with Oliver’s process.
@abiroberts said: “Haha!! Thank God I feel the same way. Cream first (to replace butter), then a dollop of strawberry/raspberry jam sailing atop it.”
@Iansharpsmithy wrote: “Pleased to take my scones the same way as one of the best thinkers of our time. PS: Cream is like butter, you would never spread this on top of jam.”
Oliver responded to critics, adding: “I can’t help wrong uns.”
Cream tea – also known as Cornish cream tea – is a form of afternoon tea which includes tea served with scones, clotted cream, jam and sometimes butter.
In May 2010, a campaign was launched at the Devon County Show to have the name “Devon cream tea” protected within the European Union under Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) rules.
