Amber Rudd, the Work and Pensions Secretary, thought she would be talking about a £100,000 mental health initiative when she visited Cornwall yesterday but ended up embroiled in the great Cornish cream tea debate.

Ms Rudd visited Truro Jobcentre to announce investment in a project which will see job centre work coaches able to refer people with mental health conditions for specialist one-to-one support without the need for a GP or social worker assessment.

Following her meeting at the jobcentre, Ms Rudd and members of the Department of Work and Pensions visited Café Chaos, the unique enterprise which helps the most vulnerable in Cornish society find work, be it paid or voluntary.

While there, Ms Rudd was persuaded to eat a cream tea … but not your standard version of the Cornish delicacy.

Amber Rudd and a platter of cream teas at Cafe Chaos

It might have proved difficult for a Tory to swallow, though she did a good job, but this was a “working man’s cream tea”.

Invented by Chaos director Katy Hutchinson, the “working man’s” variant on the Cornish sweet treat features the jam (first, of course) and cream on a digestive biscuit rather than a scone.

The Government minister tried both and told Cornwall Live: “I’ve been doing a lot of prepping to get ready for the great debate.”

So was it jam first or the dirty way in the Rudd household?

“I thought it would all be about cream or jam but it turns out to be if you want it on a biscuit or a scone.”

Yes, but jam first or wrong first?

“I have decided I like both because I am a politician and I don’t want to offend anybody. You never know where you might find a vote!”

Typical MP, in other words.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Amber Rudd visits Cafe Chaos in Truro

Back to more pressing matters and Ms Rudd was impressed by what she saw at Café Chaos, at Tregolls Road.

She also visited the group’s Iconic beauty salon on the same site and enjoyed learning some outdoor crafts and feeding sheep courtesy of Chaos Farm, which is based on the Roseland peninsula.

She was even interviewed on the new Chaos Radio internet station, which is run from the café.

All of the above help disadvantaged and vulnerable people in Cornwall.

The minister said: “I didn’t really know what to expect – it’s quite an intimidating name, but it’s a fantastic place full of enthusiasm and energy, helping people who are excluded one way or another; sometimes with mental health difficulties, sometimes with learning difficulties.

“I have met a few of the users today who are helped but in a way that doesn’t judge them and I think that’s one of the most important things in life, that people who find life difficult don’t feel judged.”

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She added: “There’s all sorts of training programmes here and pleasurable activities that will help people address their problems in a way that will give them confidence and fun.”

Chaos director Katy Hutchinson said: "Chaos stands for Community Helping All Of Society and it was set up around ‘how do we create a safe community and environment for people to grow and develop'."

“We work with people across a whole range of services – it could be mental health, it could be drugs and alcohol, we even have children in the service. People told us we were taking a huge risk – and there are risks involved – but actually that’s what society looks like.”

Pictured is Aaron, one of the volunteers at Cafe Chaos

Aaron is one of those that Chaos has helped.

He told us: “I’ve been coming here for five years and work as front of house in the café and have got a barista qualification and I’m now training volunteers.

“I love it here – it’s built up my confidence 100%.”