Wimbledon to serve strawberry flavoured fried chicken
Strawberries and cream have been synonymous with the Wimbledon tennis Championships ever since the very first tournament in 1877, when the fruit was served to around 200 spectactors.
These days some two million strawberries are served across the 14 days of the Championships, equating to almost 40 tonnes of the fruit.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club has announced that this year the strawberries – which all hail from the same farm in Kent – will be featured in a new hot sauce for fried chicken.
Speaking at a preview event this week, Wimbledon’s cheffing team, lead by Executive Chef Sam Morgan, explained how they’d been experimenting with vinegar levels to reduce the strawberry sauce to the perfect sweetness.
Wimbledon 2026 food to ‘push boundaries’
Chefs at the Championships told CityAM the sauce is made using a tomato sauce base and vinegar sugar, with blended strawberries, and the chicken is served with fried red onions and slaw.
The dish of fried chicken with hot strawberry sauce will be available in the restaurant at Wimbledon 2026, which starts this year on 29 June and runs until 12 July.
The Championships sells punnets of strawberries for under three pounds a pack so that the tradition of strawberries and cream at the Championships remains affordable.
Executive chef Sam Morgan said this year’s new public food offering will “push the boundaries”, working “closely with our incredible network of British suppliers to ensure that every menu reflects the best of the season.”
Champagne on the court
Throughout the year, the Wimbledon Museum features an exhibition dedicated to the history of food and drink at the Championships. As well as more information on the famous berries, it includes stories about the eating habits of famous players, including Suzanne Lenglen, who drank champagne and cognac on the court between games during the Roaring Twenties.
Sales of strawberry-themed merchandise has also proved a hit for Wimbledon. Last year’s range included toys, t-shirts, knitwear and socks.
The ticket link for restaurant reservations at Wimbledon is live for ticketholders and those who wish to queue to get tickets.
The Wimbledon queue: how to get Wimbledon tickets
For those who haven’t been allocated Wimbledon tickets in the public ballot there is a daily Wimbledon queue in Wimbledon park. You can join that queue at any point and be given a ticket number. Thousands of members of the public are granted access to the Championships every morning of play directly from the queue.
While arriving very early in the morning, around 5am, can get you into the grounds, for Centre Court or Court 1 tickets, it is best to turn up the day before and be prepared to camp overnight to be in with a chance of gaining one of 500 daily tickets reserved for each of the major courts.
If you don’t fancy camping though, one major tip is to arrive in the queue before the first Tube train in the morning, so before 5am.
For more information, read the guide to the Wimbledon queue.
Image is AI generated by used incorporating a photo taken of the strawberry chicken dish at Wimbledon