Wimbledon Fever!

This week sees the return of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships which means two weeks of nail-biting action from the courts of SW19.  If you’re a tennis fan and aren’t one of the lucky few to get tickets for the Championships though, then don’t despair! We’ve got a few tips for recreating the Wimbledon atmosphere at home.

Centre Court! Image by Marc Di Luzio

The hungryhouse guide to Wimbledon at home

1. Stock up on strawberries
Strawberries are famously the staple food of the Championships with spectators getting through, on average, 28,000 kgs of the fruit along with over 7000 litres of cream every tournament.  Strawberries are a serious business at Wimbledon with only the highest quality and freshest (they’re picked the day before the tournament) making the grade.  Therefore no at-home Wimbledon experience is truly complete without consuming as many strawberries as you can physically bear. For any that are left over, consider making the traditional English strawberry-based dessert, Eton Mess

Image by Fried Dough

2. Drink LOTS of Pimm’s
This quintessential English cocktail is a Wimbledon classic with a whopping 150,000 glasses being consumed every tournament.  Check out our recipe to make your own.  Then sit back, sip away and watch the action.  Alternate with cups of tea and / or flutes of champagne to get your fill of other staple Wimbledon beverages.

Pimm's sweet Pimm's! Image by Acme

3. Make your own Murray Mount
To the side of the No. 1 court lies a grassy hill where ticketless crowds gather to watch all the action on a big screen.  The hill, formerly known as Henman Hill, has more recently been coined Murray Mount as British tennis fans eagerly gather there to cheer on UK hopeful Andy Murray.  If you can’t make it there to join the crowds, then we recommend forming your own mini Murray Mound.  A grassy slope where you can gain internet access to stream all the tennis action should suffice.  To add the finishing touch, drape yourself in a union flag to watch the action.  If it’s raining, then all the better, this is truly the authentic Wimbledon viewing experience.

4. Transform yourself into a tennis star!
If you can’t see the pros then why not give it a bash yourself.  Put on your finest whites and head to the nearest court to soak up the sounds of tennis.  Or failing that, go for second best…

Ping Pong!