Wimbledon food and drink prices revealed as signature dish called out

Tennis' most prestigious tournament is back for another year, and with the prices of the food and drink at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club - we know why it's been given that title.

Every year, thousands of tennis fans from across the United Kingdom, and the globe, enter the ballot in hopes to get tickets to watch their favorites battle it out on centre court.

Some, who weren't successful, queue up for hours in hopes of catching some actions. Others, take a seat on Henman Hill, (or Murray Mount) to watch the action on the big screen just outside the courts.

Those who get tickets are guaranteed a seat on their designated court all day, so of course, they're going to become parched and peckish. However, they may need to take out a bank loan if they want to enjoy the classic strawberries and cream or enjoy a tipple of Pimms.

According to My London, the price of the iconic fruit and cream dessert has been upped once again, and will cost sports fans £2.85 ($3.82) for a small portion.

To put prices into perspective, in England, a 400g box of strawberries bought from a supermarket will set you back at a slightly lower price of £2.75 ($3.68).

And going off fans' X posts, it seems like fans are given around 3-4 strawberries in a cardboard box, swimming around in some melted cream.

Of course, this could be due to the heatwave England have been facing the last couple of weeks, but fans aren't impressed.

Along with his sad looking picture, X user @lawrencenewport penned: "Strawberries and cream at Wimbledon. Not quite as I'd imagined."

The staple dessert dates all the way back to the early days of the competition, in which the fruit was only available for a few weeks in June and July.

The classic dessert isn't the only thing that will set spectators back...

Food and Drink prices at Wimbledon

Hefty prices below, as per My London...

• Stella Artois lager - £8.85 ($11.85)
• Limited edition strawberries and cream lager (1 UK pint: 20 fl oz) - £9.30 ($12.42)
• Bottles of Champagne - ranging from £98 - £110.20 ($131 - $147)
• Pimms (with reusable glass) - £13.45 ($18)
• Fish finger sandwich - £14.50 ($19.42)
• Skin-on fries - £5.50 ($7.36)
• Chicken/rice bowls - £13.65 ($18.28)
• Refillable water bottle - £5.00 ($6.70)

Those heading to SW19 may want to take a packed lunch with them, and follow these rules...

Wimbledon’s strangest rules

Wimbledon has strict rules and regulations for pretty much everything - from the length of the grass to the temperature of the tennis balls, and you can be fined thousands of pounds for certain conduct violations.

Curfew

While at other grand slams, play continues late into the night, at Wimbledon there’s a strict 11pm curfew.

This means tennis fans sometimes have to go to bed on a cliffhanger.

Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal’s 2018 semi-final clash was suspended after the third set. Meanwhile, Andy Murray was particularly peeved when he was in the lead against Stefanos Tsitsipas in 2023, but went on to lose when the game was paused overnight and restarted the following morning.

Timed toilet breaks

Players are limited to one toilet break for matches up to three sets, and two if it goes on for longer.

They can only go during a set change and they have to be back within three minutes, or they risk giving a point to their opponent.

The longest ever Wimbledon match lasted a whopping 11 hours over three days, so players better get their nervous pees in before the match.

Temper tantrums

Players can be fined up to $50,000 for smashing their rackets. Djokovic is believed to have smashed over 60 of them over the course of his career.

Bad language can also result in the same maximum fine.

Countdown to serve

As soon as the ball goes out of play, the serving player has just 25 seconds to hit their serve, or the umpire can call a violation which could potentially grant a point to their opponent.

Fines for not trying hard enough

Players must demonstrate they’re giving their all to win the match. Australian player Bernard Tomic was fined an eye-watering $60,000 after he was accused of not putting in enough effort to beat French player Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, losing after just 58 minutes.

Age limits

Players have to be at least 14 to compete, which means youth sensations like Coco Gauff were initially barred from taking part.

Spectators, meanwhile, have to be accompanied by a guardian if they’re under 16. Under-fives aren’t permitted at all onto show courts.

This meant Serena Williams' two-year-old daughter Adira River couldn't watch her mom's comeback at this year's grand slam, while not all of Andy Murray's four children could watch his final doubles appearance in 2024.

The grass and the balls

Everything at Wimbledon is just so. The grass is cut to 8mm, which is apparently best suited for modern tennis play and for the grass to survive.

Meanwhile, the tennis balls are kept in a fridge in order to maintain a constant temperature of 68°F. A consistent temperature is important because it apparently affects the way the balls bounce. The more you know.

Tennis whites

It was originally just female players who were required to wear all-white on the court. According to Tennis Fashions: Over 125 Years of Costume Change, the rule was introduced because it was ‘quite unthinkable that a lady should be seen to perspire’. OK then…

Eventually, the rule was imposed on men too.

A single trim of colour is allowed around the neckline and sleeve cuffs, but this must be no thicker than 1cm.

In 2022, an exception was made so women could wear dark undershorts to feel more comfortable if they were on their periods.