Wimbledon wouldn't be complete without a number of things: the world’s biggest names in tennis, electrifying matches, plentiful Pimms, a little drizzle and, of course, the perfect accompaniment to a glass of champagne. Each year, hungry spectators consume about 28,000kg or a whopping two million strawberries.
So now's the time to pick up some of your own and enjoy the match with our selected seasonal recipes.
The ideal strawberry is small, sweet and balances perfectly on a teaspoon, leaving you free to focus on the game. For the past 20 years, Wimbledon's popular fruit has been supplied exclusively by Hugh Lowe Farms in Mereworth, Kent. Farmer Marion Regan gives us her serving suggestions as well as expert advice: "Berries are good to eat every day, whether on your breakfast cereal, in a summery dessert, or as a treat straight from the punnet! "Make sure you refrigerate them as soon as you get them home, and allow them to warm up to room temperature before eating."
Not only juicy and delicious, field-fresh strawberries beat oranges in the vitamin C stakes, are low in calories and a good source of folic acid, potassium, natural sugar and fibre.
Full of flavour and colour, the iconic berry is produced to a high environmental standard. The tournament’s berries are LEAF Marque certified – meaning that they are produced using traditional methods with minimum environmental impact.
The county of Kent, otherwise known as the Garden of England, is famed for its flavoursome soft fruit. Henry VIII – a monarch renowned for his appetite, amongst other things – had his fruiterer plant orchards not far from Mereworth. To this day, fruit farms dot the tranquil Kentish countryside.