Review: Cream Tea at Shoreham Aircraft Museum

On a recent nice day in the Kentish countryside, my parents and I decided to go and partake in a cream tea at Shoreham Aircraft Museum which happens to have been co-founded by a friend of my parents, renowned aviation artist Geoff Nutkins.

Founded in 1978 by locals with a passion for the Battle of Britain the Shoreham Aircraft Museum curated a permanent display in 1988 serving as a lasting tribute to all those airmen who fought in the skies over southern England during World War II.

The collection includes flying helmets, uniforms and insignia along with a comprehensive display of Home Front memorabilia. Artefacts are showcased with items recovered from local ‘digs’ or local happenings and are updated regularly, making a second visit all the more enjoyable.

Once you’ve delved into the Battle of Britain you can take some time out to relax and enjoy the museum’s charming tea room serving tea, coffee and soft drinks, along with a range of homemade scones, cakes and pastries, all at very reasonable prices.

If you visit on a lovely sunny day, like we did, I definitely recommend sitting out in the lovely Tea Gardens to better admire the beautiful countryside village setting. We decided to go for cream teas; your choice of tea or coffee alongside a homemade fruity scone with indulgent thick clotted cream and sweet strawberry jam.

I was delighted to discover the scones were still warm from the oven as I broke mine open and slathered it with butter, cream and jam before devouring. There’s nothing quite like enjoying a freshly baked, homemade scone while admiring the Kent flora and fauna.

The Tea Room is a celebration of vintage memorabilia as well as displaying a range of lovely prints from our family friend, aviation artist Geoff Nutkins. All the proceeds from the Tea Room are used for recovery and preservation of artefacts. Any remaining funds are donated to the RAF Guinea Pig Club, East Grinstead, an organisation for severely burnt Allied airmen of Word War II.

If you’re looking for something to do in the Darent Valley then I wholeheartedly recommend a visit to the Shoreham Aircraft Museum where you can take in some history, indulge in a delicious cake and enjoy the countryside. I award the Cream Tea at Shoreham Aircraft Museum 5 out of 5 stars.