Wimbledon's celebrated strawberries and cream, described by the club itself as "a true icon of The Championships," boasts a rich history that predates the tennis tournament. Even when the venue was known solely as the All England Croquet Club, this quintessential summer dessert was already being offered to visitors, reflecting a widespread Victorian tradition.
Across 19th-century Britain, strawberries and cream were a ubiquitous sight at various summer gatherings, from private garden parties to political fundraisers and county cricket matches. This seasonal delight was as much an expected part of a Victorian fête as string bands and games of lawn tennis. In 1889, a statistician noted in the Dundee Evening Telegraph that Londoners alone consumed an astonishing 12 million berries daily during the summer months, highlighting the dish's immense popularity.
The deep association with summer stemmed from the delicate nature of strawberries. Before modern refrigeration, these berries were a fleeting treat, available only during their short season in late June and early July – precisely when the Wimbledon lawn tennis championships are held. Seventeenth-century banquet menus already featured strawberries, often served with cream or steeped in rose water, white wine, and sugar, marking them as a distinct June delicacy. The 17th-century gardener John Parkinson lauded them as "a cooling and pleasant dish in the hot summer season," a sentiment that held true when the Wimbledon championship began in the 1870s.
The advent of mechanical refrigeration dramatically altered this seasonal constraint. From the late 19th century onwards, new technologies facilitated the global transportation of chilled and frozen foods. Domestic ice-boxes and refrigerators further contributed to this shift, allowing consumers to enjoy perishable products year-round, effectively "wiping out seasons and distances," as the Ladies Home Journal proclaimed in 1929. This technological leap transformed the concept of "freshness," moving away from the expectation of just-picked produce towards food stored and kept fresh in a refrigerator.
Today, with strawberries readily available throughout the year, some of the unique excitement that once accompanied the arrival of the strawberry season has diminished. However, the tradition at Wimbledon endures, with visitors consuming nearly 2 million berries in 2024. A bowl of the iconic dessert currently costs £2.70, having seen its first price increase in 15 years in 2024 from £2.50, demonstrating its continued status as an affordable and cherished part of the Wimbledon experience.