Ever wondered why strawberries and cream is served at Wimbledon tennis tournaments?

The winning combination of strawberries and cream was introduced in 1509 by Thomas Wolsey – an English statesman and Catholic Bishop – also right-hand man to King Henry VIII. It is believed that he first served this dish at a lavish banquet and then served it to spectators at tennis matches at a court in Thomas’ palace. And the perfect and timeless snack was born.

The Wimbledon Championship in 1877, the world’s first official lawn tennis tournament, was and all men’s tournament with 200 spectators and saw strawberries and cream served. This classic snack has become synonymous with Wimbledon tennis and is still served to this day. On average about 10,000 litres of cream and 28,000 kg of strawberries is consumed at the Tournament every year. To ensure utmost freshness, the strawberries from farms in Kent are picked the day before and delivered to Wimbledon at 5.30 am prior to being inspected and pared.

Strawberries with cream is a simple and delicious combination, and it’s all about the luscious berry stealing the show wherever it is served!