Strawberries and Tennis! It's Wimbledon!

Strawberries and Tennis! It’s Wimbledon!



28,000kg of strawberries are going to be devoured by tennis spectators in the next fortnight. Thats 8,615 punnets or 86,150 of the berries a day! What better way to celebrate the famed Wimbledon tradition than experimenting with a few of our delicious strawberry recipes...

The combination of strawberries and cream is widely accredited to Thomas Wolsley who is rumoured to have served this to his guests at his Tudor banquets in Hampton Court as a lighter pudding to enjoy after huge feasts. Also, as the largest kitchen in the whole of Tudor England, the chefs would have to serve up to 600 lords and ladies every day, so we can imagine that this no-fuss recipe was one of their favourites!

The introduction of the fruit to Wimbledon is often pinned to King George V, however, it seems that they were a tradition even before him, since the first tournament in 1877! The librarian at Wimbledon Lawn Tennis has been quoted, "Strawberries were normally available only at that time of year. When the championships started in the late 1800's, it was a fashionable thing to eat. The appearance of strawberries just happened to coincide with the event.”

Given the huge quantities of strawberries we munch our way through during the tournament, it’s a lucky thing that they are so good for us!

• As little powerhouses of vitamin C, you’ll get more of this cold-defending vitamin from eight strawberries than an orange.
• Their red colour comes from their high flavanoid content which maintain good artery health and help reduce cholesterol levels.
• They are full of cancer fighting ellagic acid.
• Their acid content helps to remove teeth stains. Another reason for strawberry smiles!
• They are fat free and low in calories- 50 calories in 100g!
• They are our nations favourite berry and most importantly, delicious!

And for fun…

• Latin name is Fragaria Ananassa
• The strawberries served up at Wimbledon come from Kent and are of the Elsanta variety. They are picked the day before they are delivered at 5.30am every morning.
• English old spellings are “streowberie” and “streawbelige”. Apparently their name came about because they were kept on straw to keep them fresh.
• They each contain about 200 seeds.
• They are part of the rose family
• The Romans used wild strawberries to cure illness and diseases.

Try our delicious strawberry recipes for your Wimbledon 2014 celebrations:

Strawberry and Coconut Eton Mess
Strawberry Crumble
Strawberry Ice-cream