Why Wimbledon’s strawberries are immune to inflation
Skip the expensive Pimm's and opt for the beloved fruit of SW19 instead.
Attending Wimbledon can be quite a costly affair. A single serving of Pimm's will require you to fork out £11.20, which has seen a rise from its previous price of £9.75 in 2022. Additionally, indulging in a pint of beer will set you back £7.55. For those who are in a hurry to catch their favorite matches, grabbing an "Express Picnic" consisting of sandwiches will cost £12.
Despite the increasing prices of various goods, strawberries seem to be the only item exempted from this trend. For over ten years now, the Wimbledon Championship's iconic package containing strawberries and cream remains reasonably priced at £2.50, defying the inflation and the surging expenses of food production.
Ensuring that the cost of Wimbledon's famous food remains reasonable is a matter of principle. "This stems from a longstanding custom of strawberries and cream being intertwined with the tournament," explains Perdita Sedov, the head of food and beverage at Wimbledon. "We strive to make it available to everyone, to ensure that iconic dish is accessible to all." Strawberries, cream, and Centre Court are inseparable; a simple search of #Wimbledon on Twitter even reveals a red strawberry emoji.
The organization in charge of the tournament, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC), has managed to keep the cost of their berry pots affordable by steadfastly refusing to increase them. Sedov expresses, "Even though we've had to transfer much of those [increased prices caused by inflation] to our visitors, maintaining strawberries and cream as an affordable option is something we prioritize at the club... and strongly believe in continuing to do so."
The AELTC has sacrificed financial gain in order to maintain affordable prices for strawberries: "Despite the increasing costs, we have managed to keep the strawberries reasonably priced," revealed Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the Club, in an interview with the Telegraph.
In the meantime, the source of the strawberries remains the same. Every single berry is carefully handpicked and inspected at Hugh Lowe Farms in Mereworth, a town close to Maidstone in Kent. This farm has been supplying strawberries to the prestigious Wimbledon tournament for nearly three decades. A dedicated group of pickers begins their work at the early hour of 5am every day throughout the competition. By 10am, these freshly picked strawberries make their journey to Wimbledon. On the other hand, the cream used is sourced from Lancashire.
Every year, Wimbledon needs over 38 tons of strawberries to meet its supply. On a daily basis, about 8,615 containers of strawberries are eaten, accompanied by more than 10,000 liters of fresh cream throughout the tournament. The event also boasts an impressive consumption of 110,225 scones, 303,000 glasses of expensive Pimm's, and roughly 22,000 champagne bottles.
Certainly, when compared to prices at typical supermarkets, the strawberries in SW19 are not at all inexpensive. At Tesco, a package containing 400 grams of these British-grown fruits currently costs £2.30, while at Aldi, it can be purchased for £1.89. At Waitrose, the same 400g package was priced at £2.25 in 2022, but has increased to £2.50 in 2023. Depending on their size, one might be fortunate enough to find around 20 to 30 of these delightful red berries in a punnet. In contrast, by spending £2.50 at Wimbledon, you would only receive 10 strawberries (although they are guaranteed to be perfectly ripe and come with unlimited cream).
This year, they provide a refreshing solution to shrinkflation – possibly the solitary nourishment that will genuinely give you greater value for your cash, instead of less. The containers are filled based on the quantity of berries rather than their weight, and farmers have stated that there is an abundant yield of bigger berries this summer.
According to Nick Marston, the chairman of the British Berry Growers, the current year's harvest is larger and more flavorful because of the colder spring weather and the extended time it took for the strawberries to fully ripen. Marston expresses his hope that with the strawberry season at its prime, people both at Wimbledon and elsewhere can have the opportunity to savor their excellent flavor.
The strawberries at Wimbledon possess various commendable qualities: they are an essential part of summertime, a supporter of British agricultural industry, and unexpectedly, a savior in the struggle against increasing expenses. Who would have anticipated this?
