Why do we eat strawberries and cream at Wimbledon?

Virgin Radio

4 Jul 2024, 15:22

Wimbledon wouldn't be Wimbledon without strawberries and cream or a glass of Pimms, but why do we have this tradition?

Strawberries and cream is a combination which many people find synonymous with Wimbledon, and often only eat it during the tournament.

So where did the trend come from?

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Originally it was considered "trendy" to eat strawberries when Wimbledon first began, and first recordings of the combo appear in the early 1900s.

It is said to be thought it was because the fruit happened to ripen and be available at the right time.

There is also speculation that strawberries may have been enjoyed way back in 1877, when the first Championships were held.

Strawberries were considered a luxury as they have a short growing season and were only available for a few weeks of the year.

 Courts Magazine says the limited availability of strawberries plus the vibrant colour led to them being a popular choice.

Being fashionable in the 19th Century as well as the growing season coinciding with the contest caused the tradition to flourish.

A huge total of 1.92 million strawberries are consumed annually at the Wimbledon Championships.

To put it in perspective, that's more than 140,000 punnets in total. 

The strawberries are supplied by Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent, run by Marion Regan.

Marion was even awarded an MBE in 2014 for her services to fresh produce.

"During the Wimbledon fortnight, we start picking at five in the morning every day, the strawberries are cooled in our packhouse, and then the punnets are weighed," Marion explained

"Reynolds, the company which supply FMC with all the fresh produce for Wimbledon, send a special truck to collect the order, and it goes into Wimbledon that afternoon. So some of the strawberries will actually be eaten on the day that they’re picked!"

Even better, the price of a tub of strawberries and cream hasn't gone up since 2010, setting you back £2.50.

Who's hungry?