Wimbledon is here and thousands of tennis fans have already descended on the All England Lawn Tennis Club to watch the action.
Punters come to SW19 to enjoy some world-class tennis and maybe even soak up the British summer sunshine, but they also come to eat and drink. The Championships are famous for selling strawberries and cream, Pimms and lemonade and Champagne to the well-dressed masses – and this year will be no exception.
What has changed, though, is the prices, with many having increased since last year’s tournament. A pint of Stella Artois was £7.55 in 2023, but costs £8.50 now – and people will have to pay an extra £1 when purchasing their first drink of the day in order to get a reusable cup. That £1 can be recouped upon the return of the cup, but it means a first drink at Wimbledon would set you back £9.50.
Pimms and lemonade is even pricier, coming in at £11.95 from the Walled Garden Bar next to Court One. A pint of Guinness, Camden IPA, Orchard Pig cider is £8.10, while a 330ml bottle of Stella is a whopping £7.50. A Sipsmith gin and tonic in a can is £9.80, while a single shot and tonic is £10.60 and a double is £14.90.
For those of an even more expensive taste, a small 20cl glass of Champagne is £25.50, or £92.30 for a bottle. The rosé version is £28.70 for a glass, or £97 for the whole bottle. Soft drinks are more reasonably priced, with a 750ml bottle of Evian coming in at £2.95 and a can of Coke costing £2.60.
Thankfully, there are lots of water fountains, allowing fans to refill their bottles for free. Spectators are also allowed to bring in one bottle of wine, or two cans of beer per person, when they enter the site.
Strawberries and cream are iconic at Wimbledon and organisers have wisely opted to keep their price steady, with a single portion costing £2.50. More substantial food will cost you though – a fish finger sandwich or a chicken burger is £13.30, with chips an extra £5.
A chicken shawarma served on fries or in a wrap is £12.40 – the same as fish and chips, Korean fried chicken, mapu tofu, miso roasted aubergine, cured chalk stream trout, chicken teriyaki or a vegan pastrami bagel. Keralan cauliflower, chickpea and onion bhaji with chips comes in at £11.85. A pot of edamame beans is £5.
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In the sweets and treats kiosk, a 100g bag of pick n mix costs £3.90, with assorted other bags of pre-packaged sweets priced at £4.20 and little tubs of Jude’s ice cream costing £4.50.
Lots of tourists come to Wimbledon looking to take home a souvenir of their visit from the shop, but they will need deep pockets. A Wimbledon cap is £32, a polo shirt £65, shorts £55, socks £14 and a sweatband £8.
Classic souvenirs are no cheaper, either, with the famous towels £18, insulated water bottles £30, plastic water bottles £22, an umbrella £55 and a keyring £10. The fancier items are eye-wateringly expensive, with a canvas tennis bag costing £295, a wash bag a staggering £175, a quilted jacket £110 and a tie in the trademark purple and green stripes £95.
Those prices didn’t seem to be putting off the punters, though, with the Wimbledon shop full to bursting with people only a few hours after the gates opened for business.
