Eating strawberries while dressed in light, neutral tones doesn’t sound like the best idea. At the Wimbledon tennis tournament, however, it has become somewhat of a tradition over the years. And there’s a good reason for that.
With an estimated 28,000 kilograms of strawberries being consumed during Wimbledon every year, the tennis event certainly generates quite a bit of revenue for strawberry producers. In order for the sports tournament to live up to its prestigious reputation, all strawberries are handpicked and delivered daily. Moreover, the strawberry varieties are picked especially for their sweetness and juiciness and all fruits undergo a thorough inspection before entering the premises.
The tradition of eating strawberries at Wimbledon started somewhere in the nineteenth century, along with the start of the tournament itself. Not only were the bright colours of the fruit and cream seen as elegant and distinguished, strawberries also happened to be in season during the event, the peak strawberry season in Britain being in June and July. At a time when people pretty much only had access to seasonal produce, it thus seemed like the obvious choice. Moreover, they were seen as a luxury fruit and eating them in public was therefore a way to show one’s wealth.
Over the years, strawberries have remained a part of the tennis tournament, even though they are not really a luxury anymore. Many spectators, players and even royals can be seen eating strawberries, all of them supplied by Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent.
“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. 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”, the producer explains.
Aside from strawberries, cream is another essential ingredient at Wimbledon. Every year, about 7,000 litres of the dairy product are used and sold. As far as the price of a tub of strawberries and cream goes, you might be surprised by the fact that it hasn’t changed since 2010. For 2.50 pounds, they can be yours.
