Strawberries and Cream: It's Time to Gather Your Ingredients

The Championships at Wimbledon is steeped in tradition. Even if you can’t score tickets or embark on a pilgrimage to the hallowed grounds of the All England Club this year, tennis fans everywhere still have an opportunity to participate in some of the annual rituals. Consequently, in preparation for the 2024 edition of the tournament which gets underway on Monday, it is time to gather your ingredients for strawberries and cream.

Strawberries and cream are an iconic culinary tradition of the Championships. The simple yet elegant dish is the perfect enhancement to the televised Wimbledon viewing experience. Live matches from London are aired during breakfast hours in the United States. My own personal tradition during the fortnight is to celebrate “Breakfast at Wimbledon,” which features strawberries and cream alongside other breakfast items.

Additionally, the strawberries and cream served at Wimbledon is a rare instance where the authentic recipe is also the most simple way to make it. It starts with high-quality fresh strawberries. When shopping for this dish, it is essential to closely examine the punnet to ensure that it contains only well-ripened berries at the peak of quality and freshness. There is no way to compensate for poor quality ingredients in this dish.

Wimbledon uses “single cream,” which is commonly used in the UK but not usually available in the United States. Heavy cream is a great substitute. The cream at Wimbledon is always served in pourable form and never whipped. To serve, simply drizzle the cream over the strawberries. It is the only way to have the authentic Wimbledon strawberries and cream experience.

I also enjoy savoring strawberries and cream to mark the midpoint of the calendar year. While it is important to work hard in pursuit of our goals, it is equally important to make time to enjoy the fruits of our labor. A dish of strawberries and cream is the perfect way to celebrate the first half of the year with a traditional indulgence and while watching great tennis.

I have written about this topic on three prior occasions. Reviewing those previous posts has convinced me that I need some new pottery to serve my strawberries and cream. I essentially run the same photo every year. Additionally, apologies for the gratuitous use of the word punnet. “Flat” would probably be the more common word stateside.