How many scones do you need to bake to become an expert? If more than a million is a reasonable quota, then Lee Underhill, head chef at Chartwell near Westerham, fits the bill.

He joined the National Trust site, the former home of Winston Churchill, 15 years ago.

“I baked scones on my very first day and I have since baked over a million in my time here,” he said.

The site is home to the Landemare cafe, which was named after Georgina Landemare, the Chartwell cook for more than 20 years.

The venue is busy preparing for its annual rush on scones – Mother’s Day weekend, though they are popular all year round. Is it possible that scones could ever go out fashion?

“I hope not, as they are a great British tradition! They are still a treat and very popular – we sold 65,000 scones last year here at Chartwell.

“Scones are always available for when we open at and topped up throughout the day. We find we have constant sales throughout the year. When the weather is warm visitors take them outside to eat.”

The freshly prepared mouth-watering scones are served with jam and clotted cream. There is also an outside eating area, ideal for dog walkers who want to enjoy a refreshment with their pet.

His secret to the perfect scone are simple. “Keep the ingredients cold. You must be gentle with the mixture – no over-mixing. And when cutting the scone mixture, be really gentle and don’t twist the cutter.”

And to serve them, it’s simple: “You must have clotted cream and jam. A generous spoonful of each one, each half of the scone, but don’t spread.”

Savoury scones are also on the menu, with a special significance at Chartwell.

“We bake cheese scones too and we have also made bacon and Stilton scones. Stilton cheese was a favourite of Sir Winston Churchill.”

INSPIRING SCONES

A visit to Chartwell is where it all began for a blog dedicated entirely to seeking out the best scones at National Trust properties.

National Trust Scones, by Sarah Clelland, visits a new property every week to test out the scones and see what’s on offer.

She wrote: “Chartwell is partly to blame for this blog. It was the first National Trust property I ever visited and we decided to go for a look round, got there and realised that the National Trust is a bit of a bargain if you join up... And so began the series of events that led to the National Trust Scone Blog.

“The scones themselves were delicious – one plain scone, one fruit scone – nice and big and crisp on the outside.”

This was the overall view for the visit:
Chartwell: 5 out of 5
Scones: 4.5 out of 5
Jock the Cat: 5 out of 5 – we didn’t actually see him, but that’s cats for you.

Check out the scone exploits @nt_scones

Try your hand at making fruit scones with this recipe from the National Trust Cookbook.

Makes eight scones, preparation time 15 minutes, cooking time 10-15 minutes.
Ingredients:
450g/1lb self raising flour
115g/4oz soft margarine
85g/3oz caster sugar
85g/3oz sultanas
1 egg, beaten
200ml/7fl oz milk

Method: Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Add the flour and margarine to the bowl of an electric mixer and rub in the margarine until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in the sugar and sultanas.

Add the agg and gradually mix in 150ml/a quarter of a pink of the milk to make a soft dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface, then roll out thickly to a generous 2cm thickness, or two fingers. Stamp out circles using a 7cm fluted biscuit cutter and transfer the scones to a lightly oiled baking sheet. Knead the trimmings and continue rolling and stamping until you have made eight scones.

Brush the top of the scones with a little of the remaining milk, then bake for 10-15 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Serve warm, split and top with jam and clotted cream.

* The National Trust Cookbook is on sale in National Trust shops for £15. The National Trust Book of Scones is out on Thursday, April 13, priced £13, published by Pavilion Books.