Enjoying a scone, jam and clotted cream flourished in the Westcountry following the tourism boom in the 1850s and after a dip in the numbers of restaurants and cafes serving the quintessential tradition, the cream tea is as popular today as it was 160 years ago.
Clotted cream is the staple ingredient of course and think of clotted cream and your first thought will probably be Rodda’s. The Cornish company has been making Cornish clotted cream at Scorrier, near Redruth for more than 120 years. As well as the famous clotted cream, Rodda’s also make custard, crème fraiche, butter, milk, and pouring creams.
25 tonnes of clotted cream is produced daily by Rodda’s which is retailed locally, nationally and enjoyed all over the world, in countries as varied as Dubai, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Madeira, Malaysia, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Tenerife and Hong Kong. Rodda’s cream is also on over 90% of airlines that fly out of Heathrow, introducing the Cornish clotted cream tea to travellers from all over the world.
44 local dairy farmers, all within 30 miles of the creamery, supply Rodda’s directly with 53 million litres of milk a year – the dairy farms all certified by Red Tractor Farm Assurance - this allows the creamery more control over the composition of the milk it receives.
Cornish clotted cream
In 1890 the family’s great-great-grandmother started making Cornish clotted cream in her farmhouse kitchen in the heart of Cornwall. Over 120 years on, they are still crafting it the same way, by gently baking rich local cream until it’s thick, unctuous and thoroughly dollopable.
What makes Rodda’s cream authentic?
The crowning glory of Rodda’s has always been its delicious golden crust, which is especially rich and delicate because of the quality of the milk used and the way it’s baked. The crust is a sign of quality and rather like gold-top milk, where all the tastiest bits rise to the surface. It’s a protective seal of freshness for the delicious, silky cream below and it’s how you know you’ve got the real deal.
Local dairy farms - Cornish clotted cream is made from 100% Cornish milk
One of the local farms to supply Rodda’s is Treworgie Farm near Helston run by NFU member Roger Jenkin and his family.
The 350 acre farm is home to 250 Holsteins who are kept comfortable in a 16-bay 200-cubicle house lined with memory foam mattresses to increase cow comfort. They are milked via three double-unit robots.
Christina Savage began work on the family farm when she was 18. Her day-to-day role involves helping her father Roger, rearing cattle and being responsible for the healthcare of farm animals in their infancy (0-12 months). Christina said: “From the cream teas we serve guests at our farmhouse, to my mum’s famous Christmas cake recipe made with Rodda’s farmhouse butter, produce from the creamery has always played a big part in our family life. At Treworgie Farm we feel very proud to showcase proper Cornish hospitality using local ingredients, made with our very own milk.
“As a Cornish family business, to be supplying another Cornish family business such as Rodda’s is something to be proud of.”
Find out here how to make Rodda's perfect perfect Cornish cream tea.