Wimbledon to serve up bigger strawberries for the same price

Alongside rain interrupting play and the infamous queues, strawberries and cream are the most British of Wimbledon traditions.

But while inflation has driven up prices for some of the tournament’s finer delicacies, spectators who buy a punnet of the summer fruit at SW19 this year may get more bang for their buck.

For the last 13 years, strawberries and cream have remained at £2.50 for visitors to the world’s oldest tennis championships, which get underway on Monday.

The number of strawberries - ten per punnet - has also not changed. With servings not weighed and a slightly late harvest producing bigger and sweeter fruit than usual, punters will likely get more strawberries for the same price compared to previous years.

Perdita Sedov, the food and drink director for the All England Lawn Tennis Club, told The Telegraph: “When you come to Wimbledon, everyone wants their strawberries and cream so we haven’t changed that.

“I’m really pleased to be able to say our strawberries and cream remain the same this year at £2.50, and has done since 2010.”

Confirming that nothing about the customary dessert has changed, Ms Sedov added: “They’re still the same strawberries, they still come from the same farm, and there’s still the same amount of strawberries in a portion.”

The berries are grown less than 40 miles away at Hugh Lowe Farm in Kent, and with harvesting starting at 5am during the championships, some of the produce is eaten on the same day it is picked.

Spectators can also indulge in as much cream as they like at no extra cost - whether that’s regular dairy cream or the vegan alternative introduced in 2019.

“I think the main thing for us is to make sure those strawberries are the most accessible, which is why we always make sure they’re at £2.50,” Ms Sedov said.

Growers have said the cooler spring weather has resulted in a slower ripening period this year - meaning strawberries will be in their prime just in time for Wimbledon.

‘This year’s crop is well worth the wait’

Nick Marston, the chairman of British Berry Growers, which represents 95 per cent of berries supplied to UK supermarkets, said earlier this year: “Our strawberry crop has arrived a little later this year but the good news is that they are well worth the wait.

“Cooler spring weather means that strawberries have ripened a little more slowly which allows them to grow particularly large, and the recent bright weather has boosted their sugar content, ensuring they’re incredibly sweet-tasting too.”

But while strawberries and cream may prove to be the inflation-beating option for punters, the prices of other popular refreshments at the tournament’s more than 100 food and drink outlets have increased.

“I think we have inflation every single year as standard unfortunately, and as I’m sure everyone knows and has seen, inflation is higher this year across the UK, so some of our prices will have gone up,” Ms Sedov added.

Sipping on a pint of Pimm’s while watching a singles or doubles match, another quintessentially British tradition, will set spectators back £11.20 - an almost 15 per cent rise on last year’s price of £9.75.

However, those looking to beat the surge in Pimm’s prices can opt to bring their own food and drink into the grounds. “If you specifically wanted to bring in Pimm’s you would be allowed to bring a maximum of four pre-mixed cans per person,” Ms Sedov said.

The Telegraph previously reported that the prices of tickets for the championships had increased compared with last year, with most seats at the men’s and women’s finals selling for £255 - a rise of £15.

However, ticket prices for No 2 and No 3 Courts, as well as ground passes, and the back six rows on Centre Court and No 1 Court, remain unchanged.