The Cornish Company’s ‘Scream Tea’ brings bat-shaped scones

Jam first. Even when the scone is shaped like a bat.

That is the rule at The Cornish Company, which has given the West Country cream tea a spooky makeover for Halloween with a limited-edition run of seasonal hampers.

Searches for Halloween party ideas have jumped by 67% on Pinterest Trends over the last 30 days, a sign that people across Britain are getting into the spooky spirit earlier than usual. And the season is stretching well beyond one night of trick-or-treating and plastic cobwebs, with more people hosting, staying in and sharing treats through October.

📷The 'BOO' Cornish Steak Pasty. Credit: The Cornish Company

Candlelight instead of summer gardens

The company’s 2026 Halloween hampers swap the usual sunny-garden setting of a cream tea for carved pumpkins and candlelight. The idea is to get people gathered round the table as the evenings draw in.

Tom Woodley, Managing Director and co-founder of the Cornwall-based company, said: “A cream tea is one of the most comforting things you can put on a table, and the colder months are when people want comfort most. This year, we wanted to have a bit of fun with the season.

“Whether you’re celebrating Halloween get-togethers, a half-term afternoon with the kids, or a quiet night under a blanket, these hampers are built to share with the people you love.”

📷The Pumpkin Spiced Cream Tea Hamper. Credit: The Cornish Company

A hamper for every household

The company has put together a guide matching each hamper to a different kind of household.

The Halloween host

For the person whose pumpkins are carved by mid-October and who wants a party centrepiece that gets people talking (rather than another bowl of supermarket sweets). The Scream Tea Hamper comes with bat-shaped scones, jams, a pot of Cornish clotted cream and tea for four.

The half-term hero

Aimed at parents with a week of October half-term to fill and a “no more screen time” rule to stick to. A plate of Iced Pumpkin Biscuits doubles as an activity and a treat, with the kids carving or painting pumpkins between bites and everyone sitting down together. No fancy dress required.

The pumpkin spice devotee

For anyone who has been counting down to pumpkin spice season since August, candle lit and cosy jumper on. The Pumpkin Spiced Cream Tea Hamper pairs four pumpkin-spiced scones with salted caramel, Cornish clotted cream, bonbons and a pumpkin biscuit.

The cosy night-in fan

Not everyone wants something sweet when the nights get darker. The ‘BOO’ Cornish Steak Pasty is freshly baked, stamped with a seasonal ‘BOO’ and pitched as a warm-up after a crisp autumn walk.

📷An Iced Pumpkin Biscuit. Credit: The Cornish Company

Born and buttered

Brothers Tom and James Woodley founded The Cornish Company in their family home in 2020. The gifting business describes its love for the county as “born and buttered”, and works with local artisan suppliers to send hampers and its “pasty by post” service to more than one million customers across the country.

It is a multi-award-winning family business with a 4.9-star rating on Trustpilot.

The Halloween hampers are available to order online, with free next-day delivery.

📷The Scream Tea Hamper. Credit: The Cornish Company