A day out at Wimbledon demands certain rituals, headlined by a punnet of good old-fashioned strawberries and cream. If you thought food available on-site was otherwise all dainty cucumber sandwiches (crusts off), you’d be very much mistaken.

Quick-snack options in 2023 include Jamaican Ital stew and Japanese Katsu curry, and such plant-based fare as Cauliflower Buffalo Wings and Seitan Burgers. Dairy-free cream is available, too, so that everyone can avail themselves of the famous strawberries, still selling at £2.50 for 10 juicy berries (2.5 million were sold last year).

Picnicking at Wimbledon is a tradition that goes back to early days when gates opened at noon and play on all courts started at 2pm. In the amateur era, many competitors had jobs and needed to take only half a day’s leave from work to compete. Ditto, the spectators who flocked to watch.

Today, the window of time between gates opening and the start of play still exists so visitors can claim a spot on The Hill or around the Grounds.

You don’t have to lug in your own cooler bag. New this year is the Express Picnic, which comes with a canvas tote bag with the crossed strawberry racket-head motif, and available at The Larder on The Hill, the Walled Garden and the Tea Lawn. You pick a main (sandwich or salad), a snack (popcorn or crisps), a dessert (strawberries, chocolate bar or fruit) and a drink for £12 or £14.

And it’s gourmet stuff.

The sandwiches are Wiltshire Ham & Farmhouse Cheddar, Free-Range Egg & Watercress, and Pole + Line Tuna & Cucumber; salads include Poached Salmon, Kale Caesar with Smoked Mozzarella, and Feta, Watermelon and Mint.

In the days when spectators wore top hats and straw bonnets, afternoon tea was the thing, served on the tea lawn in white china pots. Tables were dressed in pristine white linen, waitresses in formal uniforms.

According to Richard Jones’s book, The People’s Wimbledon, sandwiches and cakes were supplied by the entrepreneurial landlord of the Swan public house on the Ridgway.

From 1936, J Lyons and Company of corner house fame took over and ushered in the era of the Bath bun – a sweet pastry sprinkled with pieces of crushed sugar.

For years, it was the go-to thing to eat at Wimbledon. As a visitor in 1967 said, “We had a brief walk round the grounds and I bought the obligatory Bath bun.”

Sausages became another staple from 1963. The Oscar hotdog was particularly popular. A contributor to The People’s Wimbledon recalls the moment he bumped bang into Chris Evert and his star-struck teenage friend offered her a bite of his Oscar. She politely declined.

Even though the area designated the Tea Lawn today is paved over and offers all sorts of food and drink options, there is still clearly one stand marked 'Strawberries and Cream' and another 'Sausage Grill' on either side of the Long Bar.

‘Food is one of the easiest ways to access the Wimbledon experience,’ says Perdita Sedov, Head of Food & Beverage at Wimbledon. “You may come and you may not necessarily know all the rules or terms of tennis, but you've got your strawberries and cream. It’s a part of the emotional connection.

“You can watch it on television at home, eating strawberries from the supermarket, and feel like you're part of something.

“We learned that through the Wimbledon Recreated campaign in 2020 [when The Championships were cancelled]. One video sent in was of two ladies pretending to go up The Hill. They had their ponchos on. They had a glass of Pimm’s and some strawberries and cream, and they were actually in their garden watching reruns of Wimbledon. For them, that was Wimbledon.”

Hot tip for those unable to visit the Championships in person: the components of the new Southern Village enhanced pizza offering, with extensive bar, large TV screen and deckchairs, lend themselves to replicating at home.

New this year:

See the draw like never before, with interactive Path to the Final view of the draw by clicking a player’s name on the draws page

See the projected Path to the Final of every player in the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ singles draws with IBM Likely to Play

View how favourable or difficult a player's draw is, with IBM AI Draw Analysis