Overview
- Prince William told Heart radio hosts on Friday that he prefers cream on a scone first, saying he learned the method from his grandmother.
- Meghan Markle shared a recipe video earlier in the week that showed cream placed on a scone before jam, which helped push the topic back into public view.
- A company-commissioned nationwide survey of 2,000 people found 58% of respondents prefer jam-first and 42% prefer cream-first, and the research was published alongside Anglian Home Improvements' '60 for 60' community campaign.
- Coverage has stayed light and participatory, with outlets running opinion pieces, interactive polls and editorials that frame the dispute as a fun cultural conversation rather than a serious controversy.
- The debate ties to longstanding West Country traditions: the Cornish method puts jam first, the Devonian method puts cream first, and the phrase 'cream tea' was first recorded in Cornwall in 1931.