Why do people have Strawberries and Cream at WImbledon?

The 136^th Wimbledon has started and there are no doubts that spectators will tuck into a delicious serving of Strawberries and Cream – a staple to the Great British Grand Slam. The dish has made its mark since the very first year that the tournament has been held, back in 1877. The dessert is simply as it comes on the tin, some strawberries, with some cream. It seems rather simple, yet it is enjoyed so much so that around 28,000kg of strawberries are consumed annually for Wimbledon, along with over 7,000 litres of cream. But how did the delicacy become such a tradition for the oldest of the Four Grand Slams – the only one still held on grass?

Unfortunately, there isn’t really an official reason provided by Wimbledon, which means we would just have to use some educated guess work.

The first, and the most likely reason would be due to the time that the first tournament was held, July 9^th – July 19^th. This period is prime British Summer Strawberry Season; and if you haven’t had British Strawberries, I implore you to try them; there truly is nothing quite like it. British Strawberries tend to ripen at this time, and they become bright red, juicy and quite sweet. Originally this season only lasted for a few weeks before the fruit fell out of season again. However, due to advances in modern technology, refrigeration techniques were used to help lengthen the time of the season. So, it’s no wonder that this limited time window was part of the reason that strawberries were consumed during Wimbledon. On top of this, the age that the Wimbledon first took place was during the Victorian English Era; where it was rather fashionable to consume strawberries.

Others relate strawberries and cream to royalty. Supposedly when King Henry VIII visited his chancellor, who didn't live too far from Wimbledon, the chancellor’s cook had served them the dessert. During this time, dairy was amongst peasant food, and it was unlikely for royalty to be eating much similar dishes to those that were meant to be ‘beneath’ them. However, once the king had some, strawberries and cream blew up in popularity, where common folk could almost relate to royalty.

If you’re looking to indulge in a delicious strawberry, we can provide the fruit for your office, as well as the cream (amongst other dairy items)!

Furthermore, we’re more than happy to provide any help/information, all you need to do is contact us!