Essex Cream Tea Drinkers Break Record

17 November 2011, 17:37 | Updated: 17 November 2011, 17:45

A small hamlet near Saffron Walden has ended up in the record books thanks to its hundreds of cream tea drinkers.

334 guests were invited to scoff their way through more than 400 scones as part of the Largest Cream Tea Party to celebrate Guinness World Records Day.

Jane Malyon, from the English Cream Tea Company, hosted the event in Quendon near Saffron Walden.

"I'm passionate about sharing quality time with people and the great British tradition of afternoon tea is a favourite way to do this,'' she said.

"Strangers became friends over scones, cream, jam and tea - and the atmosphere was as special as this amazing Guinness World Record. I'm thrilled by it all."

More than 300,000 people around the world took part in the day's record-breaking activities. Many chose the occasion to celebrate customs seen as a source of national pride.

Craig Glenday, Guinness World Records editor-in-chief, added: "Guinness World Records Day is a chance to celebrate not just incredible individual achievements but also civic and national pride - whether it's the Irish bringing together leprechauns, the Brits serving up cream teas or the Americans performing a mass soul train dance.''

All records from Guinness World Records Day 2011 will be shortlisted for inclusion in the next edition of the famous book.