English UK East News

Here at EF Cambridge we love introducing our students to local British customs and traditions. Our activity ‘afternoon tea’ is by far the most popular. Our leader Aida took Makoto & Chisa from Japan to Aunties Tearooms for traditional tea and scones last week. Chisa was really happy to be able to finally try this afternoon treat at a local British café. Aida explained the tradition to them and explained that depending what area of the country you come from depends how you place your cream and jam on the scones. In Cornwall they like to put their jam on first with the cream on top, however in Devon it was strictly clotted cream first with jam on top. The leader also explained that the rich or upper class ladies would pour their tea into the teacup first and then add a dash of milk, however the working class would add the milk first and then the tea. This was because the working class had poor quality chinaware and if they were to add the tea first the china would crack, the upper classes could afford the highest quality so they would not have these issues. Our students were fascinated into the insight of the customs of afternoon tea and really enjoyed their time at Aunties Tea Rooms in Cambridge.