Mention the delightful dish, strawberries and cream, and the spectacular yearly Wimbledon Tennis Tournament hosted in summery London springs to mind. But how did this lovely English dessert become a firm tradition?

The story goes that the winning combination of strawberries and cream was introduced by Thomas Wolsey, a right-hand man to King Henry VIII. It is believed that he served this dish at a lavish banquet as far back as 1509. The combination of tastes proved irresistible, and after that it became the dessert of choice served to spectators whenever Wolsey hosted real tennis matches at Hampton Court Palace. Even when tennis evolved from the indoor real tennis courts to outdoor courts in 1877 at Wimbledon, the tradition continued – even now, after centuries.

The first Wimbledon championships in 1877 served strawberries and cream to 200 spectators. Today, the number of strawberries and cream sold during the Wimbledon lawn tennis championships is astounding. On average 28 000 kg of strawberries and 10 000 liters of cream are eaten at the tournament each year. For the past 30 years, all the strawberries are sourced from one farm in Kent. The strawberries are picked and transported early each morning of the tournament.

When you order strawberries and cream, you will be served around 10 strawberries, with pouring cream from local farms. The All England Lawn Tennis Club confirmed that approximately 190 000 servings of strawberries are sold throughout the championships. This equals around two million strawberries and 7 000 litres of cream. On average, a serving will cost you £2.50, on sale at various outlets all across the grounds

Evidently strawberries and cream is a classic that stood the test of time! It is simple, delicious, and is all about the berry! You don’t have to go all the way to England to enjoy strawberries and cream – it is accessible to all, so make the most of the relatively short strawberry season whenever you can.