Strawberries and cream are the top seed concession at Wimbledon that tennis fans can't get enough of
Strawberries and gin are hallmarks for Wimbledon concessions, just as much as the perfectly manicured grass courts are for the athletes competing in The Championships.
Like stateside tennis events, there are some notable tentpole menu items for fans who fill the hallowed grounds: Wimbledon strawberries and cream and Pimm's No. 1 Cup.
The oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, which was first held in 1877 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, prides itself on using British-grown ingredients sourced from across the U.K.
"Good Morning America" spoke to Marion Regan, the third-generation family owner and operator of Hugh Lowe Farms, who provides the official strawberries to the iconic Grand Slam venue from just 31 miles away.
"The secret of great tasting strawberries is freshness -- but also the variety," Regan said. "We have really the best varieties to deliver that."
More than 38 tons of strawberries are eaten during Wimbledon and Perdita Sedov, the Head of Food and Beverage for the event, told "GMA" that the longstanding tradition of strawberries and cream is a favorite because "It's seasonal, it's super local -- and it tastes great."
This year English actress and model Cara Delevingne was among the many spectators enjoying the Wimbledon delicacy.
To ensure the utmost freshness, the Huge Lowe Farms team handpicks thousands of nice red strawberries at the top of every morning at 4:00 a.m., which are then loaded onto trucks and carried into Wimbledon for spectators to enjoy the same day.
"We have to make sure that we're picking them fresh every day, getting them chilled, getting them out of the door over to the Wimbledon within 24 hours of being picked," Regan confirmed.
The culinary team carefully hulls "a minimal amount of the strawberry from the top," which Sedov explained is done "so that you get the most sweetness [and it's] so super fresh."
"This is a nonstop process from when we open the gates until the end of the day," Sedov continued. "And these strawberries that everyone is hulling here will constantly be going out for sale. They need to keep going. We serve, well last year, 2.25 million strawberries at Wimbledon."
While there are plenty of other amazing food and drink options, the signature libation is a Pimm's Cup that bartenders sell more than 275K glasses of throughout the tournament.
The blend of gin-based liqueur Pimm's No. 1 that contains 25% abv, is mixed with lemonade and fresh fruit -- usually strawberries, orange and cucumber -- to create a refreshing low-alcohol summer drink staple for fans to enjoy while watching Wimbledon from the famed hill to center court.
