The National Trust has long prided itself on its famous scones. There is even a blog dedicated to them, along with a “scone of the month” feature.

And with more than 3m sold every year, including those served with cream teas at its 300-plus tearooms, they are seen as an integral part of the National Trust day out.

But now the organisation has been forced to defend its recipe in the face of claims its scones have secretly gone “woke” with the introduction of a vegan recipe.

Forget whether the jam tops the cream, or the other way round: it is the lack of butter that reportedly is angering some visitors.

Some critics have gone public, condemning the use of vegetable spread rather than butter in the plant-based scones served in National Trust cafes.

Maude Newby, 64, a longtime National Trust member from Bury St Edmunds, told the Daily Mail: “I can’t stand the taste of the new scones. They are not like traditional ones at all – they are flatter, drier and have an unappealing texture.”

Bill Cash, an MP who often has tea and scones in the House of Commons, opined to the paper: “It makes me wonder what will happen next – will they stop selling madeira cake because of historical events in Madeira? There’s far too much wokery going on at the National Trust; this is just the latest example.”

However, the UK’s largest charity has hit back, claiming its tearoom scones have been milk- and butter-free for years.

Celia Richardson, the National Trust’s director of communications, said on X: “The culture warriors have reached the gates of the citadel. Now our scones are ‘secretly woke’. If you come for our scones you’d best not miss. (National Trust⁩ scones have been made without butter for many years and we publish all our recipes).”

A National Trust spokesperson said that, while some of its published recipes may differ, the plain and fruit scones in its tearooms have been dairy-free for years.

They added: “National Trust cafes serve millions of customers a year and we work hard to accommodate dietary needs and allergies. Our scones are made with vegetable-based spread. This means our iconic plain and fruit scones can be enjoyed by those with dairy allergies, and vegans.

“However, all scones can be enjoyed with butter or cream. Every purchase in our cafes supports the work of the National Trust.”

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