At Wimbledon, strawberries are a cherished tradition that tennis fans eagerly look forward to each year. Despite a damp spring in Britain, tournament organizers have assured that this year’s strawberries are “perfect.” An impressive 38.4 tons of strawberries, which amounts to 1.92 million strawberries, are consumed during the two-week tournament in London.
Each morning, a team of pickers at Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent starts their work at dawn to ensure that the strawberries are freshly picked and shipped to the All England Club. These succulent red berries have become synonymous with Wimbledon, along with the lush green courts and the players’ white attire.
While prices for other Wimbledon favorites like champagne and Pimm’s have risen, the cost of a box of strawberries has remained steady at £2.50 ($3.10) since 2010. Michelle Dite, director of operations at Wimbledon, explains that keeping strawberries affordable is a deliberate choice.
When asked about how the wet weather had affected the size and juiciness of this year’s crop, Dite expressed satisfaction with the results. She worked closely with Marion Regan, a strawberry grower in Kent, to ensure that Wimbledon’s standards were met despite not being particularly larger due to weather conditions. The two million strawberries sold each year at Wimbledon maintain the tournament’s iconic tradition of savoring strawberries and cream while watching some of the world’s best tennis players compete on grass courts.