1. This Scottish Quick Bread is said to have taken its name from the Stone of Destiny (or Scone) the place where Scottish kings were once crowned.

2. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term ‘scones’ was first used in 1513.

3. Scones became popular and an essential part of the fashionable ritual of taking tea in England when Anna, the Duchess of Bedford (1788 – 1861), one late afternoon, ordered the servants to bring tea and some sweetbreads, which included scones.

4. It is especially popular in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, and Ireland.

5. The original triangular-shaped scone was made with oats and griddle-baked.

6. Today’s scones are more flour-based and baked in the oven and made of wheat, barley or oatmeal with baking powder. They can include raisins, currants, or cheese.

7. In 2005 it was estimated that the UK scone market was worth £64m, showing a 9% increase over the previous five years.

8. Scones can be savoury or sweet and are usually eaten for breakfast, but are also served with tea and in coffeehouses.

9. Scones are pronounced ‘s-con’ or ‘s-cone’.

10. A scone is closer to a pastry than it is to bread mainly because it doesn’t include any yeast and has almost identical ingredients to a short crust with different fat to flour ratios.

11. American or British scones – what’s the difference? British scones are served with butter/cream whereas American scones or “biscuits” are far more buttery and are typically served alongside meat and veg style savoury dishes.

12. How you spread your cream and jam on your scone is very important. If you follow the proper Cornish tradition, then the jam always has to be spread first. However, if you come from Devon in England, then the cream is applied first followed by jam on top. There exists a big rivalry to this day between Devon and Cornwall in England about this seemingly insignificant difference!