National Cream Tea Day 2017 – Scone-off Special
If you want to celebrate #NationalCreamTeaDay on Friday 30th June but can’t get out to your favourite local tearoom, check out this “Supermarket Scone-off Special” we carried out just for you. It’s tough sometimes here at Cream Tea Review, but someone’s got to do it.
The Criteria
We purchased packets of the top of the range plain scones each local supermarket had to offer and put them through their paces. We ate them warmed, we ate them at room temperature, we ate them with generous dollops of Rodda’s classic Cornish clotted cream and Tiptree ‘Sweet Tip’ Raspberry jam. We also tried them naked (the scones obviously… really!!!… what are you like?).
We rated them all on taste, texture and value for money and no scone was left unturned in the quest for the best.
The Four Contenders
In alphabetical order:
- Aldi – The Village Bakery: 6 ALL BUTTER SCONES (not on website)
- Sainsbury’s: 6 ALL BUTTER SCONES (website)
- Tesco – Finest: 4 All Butter SCONES (website)
- Waitrose: 4 rich & buttery all butter scones (website)
The Results
Aldi – The Village Bakery: “6 ALL BUTTER SCONES” (not on website)
Price: 79p for six = 13p per scone
These were the only non-own brand scones reviewed, but were the top of the range on offer in store. Coming in at just 13p per scone, they easily held their own against others which were much more expensive. A sweet cake with a light texture, they worked well both unwarmed and oven heated.
Awarded: BEST VALUE SCONE
Sainsbury’s: “6 ALL BUTTER SCONES” (website)
Price: £1.00 for six = 17p per scone
Our local Sainsbury’s doesn’t seem to stock their premium Taste the Difference range scones in the plain variety (only the Sultana version), so we had to settle for the next best available. These were very similar in texture and taste to Aldi and Tesco, and they were good both warmed in the oven for 10 minutes, or straight from the packaging.
Tesco – Finest: “4 All Butter SCONES” (website)
Price: £1.00 for four = 25p per scone
The Tesco Finest offerings are nearly twice the price of Aldi scones, but were very similar in their sweet cake flavour and light texture. Of all the scones reviewed, these were our first choice when served straight from the packet.
Awarded: BEST SCONE STRAIGHT FROM THE PACKET
Waitrose: “4 rich & buttery all butter scones” (website)
Price: £1.20 for four = 30p per scone
Finally, the most expensive scones we reviewed came from Waitrose. These were noticeably different to the other three contenders, being significantly larger and more densely textured. We were less keen on these served straight out of the packet, but once heated in the oven for 10 minutes they had a lovely crisp outer and soft middle and were not too sweet.
Awarded: BEST SCONE WARMED
S’CONCLUSION
All of the scones we tried for this taste test were pretty good and would be recommended for a home or picnic treat. Mass produced scones are never going to compete with fresh-from-the-oven homemade scones, but for convenience they offer a more than acceptable alternative. So, if you want to celebrate National Cream Tea Day on Friday 30th June and can’t get out to your favourite tearoom, pop into a supermarket and grab yourself a tea-time treat. (Just don’t forget the all-important clotted cream and jam!)
Note: The prices quoted are what we were charged in stores in June 2107. These may differ from store to store or online.
