Many visitors to National Trust properties will associate the devouring of a freshly made scone or two — complete with jam and clotted cream — as a quintessential part of the overall experience on offer. After dragging their families around historically significant attractions, popping into the site’s café before sinking the teeth into a buttery baked treat is the culmination of a great day out.
But now this celebrated experience is in danger and the appearance of the scone as a culinary staple at National Trust venues is under siege as job losses threaten to see the icon’s production ceased at the Trust’s properties. According to The Times, the National Trust scones are so popular that they inspired a bestselling book and have their own dedicated webpage.
The scone has a cult following on our shores but National Trust scones have achieved fanatical interest including one woman who has reportedly visited every trust café to rate each one’s scones out of five. In 2023 after Sarah Merker finished her ten-year odyssey of the charity’s 244 cafés, her analysis found the least popular properties had the worst scones. This week The Times reported that Merker did not respond when asked to comment on the latest development.
But the days of relaxing with a pot of tea and a crumbly scone are under threat at several National Trust venues as the charity look to ship scones in from a central source to around 10% of their properties.
The news has raised fears that the scones on offer could lose their home-baked freshness and superior quality. One National Trust volunteer who spoke to The Times was concerned that there would be “severe disappointment” among visitors as a result of the move away from fresh baking.
But the development comes in the wake of the Trust’s decision this month to shed 550 jobs as it tries to cut its wage bill and balance the books after decisions by the government have impacted its bottom line. The charity, which employs nearly 8,500 people, claimed rises in the nation’s minimum wage and Labour’s decision to increase employer national insurance contributions had a substantial impact on its finances.
The new announcements are said to be costing the charity more than £10m annually, and the move to cut jobs has been conducted in response. The National Trust said the rising costs had depleted an increase in income from people visiting its 500 historic houses, gardens, castles, and other properties.
A source told The Times that the plans would see some chefs and cooks at “less profitable” cafés lose their jobs, and this would result in food being brought in to some properties instead of being freshly cooked on site. Around 10% of cafes would be affected, according to the trust that announced the job losses. A spokesman from the trust said the charity would: “prioritise the things people told us are important” while “protecting the things people value most about what we do”.
The volunteer who talked to The Times highlighted the importance of the freshly baked produce at National Trust venues and said, “many people’s main reason to visit is for a cream tea”.
Steve Thomas, of the Prospect union, which is representing those facing redundancy, said: “Whether they are chefs or curators, National Trust staff are as integral to the experience of visiting our iconic historic sites as the properties themselves.
“Losing vital skills and experience would be a disaster for the trust. It will be noticed by the public and could even reduce visitor numbers, which would only worsen the financial position.
“This process needs to be approached with the utmost caution so costly mistakes are avoided, and Prospect is engaging with the trust on behalf of our members.”