Scones & Biscuits

Is it sc-oh-nes or sc-aw-ns? Everyone would ask this question when reading the menu. It's all in how you say it. I would jokingly tell my customers that Scone is a place just outside of Chesley, but really the English call them sc-aw-ns. That sufficed until someone from the Lake District in the north of England came in and said scones with the accent but with a long 'O'. In the end, I have decided that it really just depends on where you came from as to how you pronounce the word. It's the same idea as 'tomato' - is it a long 'A' or short 'A'- who knows?

I have had the privilege of travelling all over England, Scotland, and Wales. The best scone (no matter how you like to say it) I ever tasted was found in a nightspot on Lord Street in South Port England. It was piled high with home-made jam, butter and real whipped cream. I sat smiling at the glorious scene. It was everything I dreamed of. The scone itself was the size of a doorstop (old English term my grandmother used to describe any small and heavy object that could hold a door open) but was as light and fluffy as a cloud. I could almost hear the angels sing as the waitress brought it over to me. I thought to myself that if I ever decided to open my own tearoom this would most certainly be on the menu.

Since then I have made it a point to order scones in every tearoom that offers them (which I found is not many). I have yet to enjoy the same experience as that day in South Port, save the scones in my own tearoom. Now that sounds really arrogant, but it's true. Often when you find a place that serves scones they are artificial. The jam is store-bought, the cream comes from a squirty can (on a good day) or is some edible oil by-product. Yuck! The scones themselves have been either mauled into hard lumps or contain too much baking soda which makes them crumbly and salty, leaving a dry, strange after-taste. There is a definite knack to making scones, which I hope to be able to pass on to you in this book. I hope that your tea times will allow you to enjoy creating, consuming, and receiving great compliments from those whom you wish to impress.

Like everything you make with your hands, it is important to feel good about what you are making. A lady once came to the tearoom and decided to sit at the very back table in the Roman Garden Room. She was admiring the mural on the wall and ordered her tea and a bowl of soup. She was saving room for scones afterwards. She slowly enjoyed every sip of tea, every slurp of soup and every bite of scone. When I came to check on her to be sure everything was as she'd hoped it would be, she said that she was in awe.

You made everything yourself, didn't you?

She said she could tell that I had made everything because she could taste the love in the food and even in the tea. Blushing, I thanked the woman for her wonderful compliment. Tearooms are for people who appreciate good quality and deserve happiness. It's not just men you reach with good food; it's everyone and anyone who needs it.