Shrinkflation has hit Wimbledon’s signature strawberries and cream, leaving tennis fans disappointed.
Prices of the traditional treat rose in 2025 for the first time in 15 years, and have increased by a further 15p to hit £2.85.
But fans are being given fewer than the 10 strawberries the All England Club traditionally serves up in a punnet, with some having been left with as few as seven.
Patrons have also complained about the berries’ lacklustre appearance, as they have been served in cardboard boxes since 2024 as part of a net zero drive.
The situation has been likened to the modern practice of shrinkflation, often applied to chocolate bars, in which items become more expensive but smaller in size or quantity.
While the headline price has increased only by 5.6 per cent, the reduction from 10 to as low as seven berries means that the cost per strawberry has risen by as much as 51 per cent – from 27p to almost 41p.
The cost of a glass of Pimm’s also increased at this year’s championship, from £12.25 in 2025 to £13.45.
Angelina, 42, said it was disappointing to be served only nine strawberries. “You want the correct amount,” she said. “If the cost has gone up and then there’s less, then it’s unfair.”
“They look terrible,” said Steve Cordeiro, 41, from London, as he poked suspiciously at the berries with a wooden fork. “That is not the freshest strawberry.
“These are meant to be Britain’s freshest strawberries are they not? They leave a bit of a sour taste in the mouth.”
Ameer Kotecha, a former British diplomat, posted on X: “We can be so much better than this. Ditch the ridiculous cardboard box – serve them in dainty little tubs. Making things environmentally friendly shouldn’t have to make them worse.”
Yan Osahrov, 31, from Ukraine, said he had bought strawberries because “it’s tradition”, but had been served only nine in his box.
“I think they should use some smaller boxes for this because it looks like it’s not enough,” he said.
‘Runny cream’
Wimbledon’s strawberries are picked fresh every morning and delivered in temperature-controlled vans from Hugh Lowe Farms in Maidstone, Kent. Clotted cream is supplied by Rodda’s in Redruth, Cornwall.
But customers were left underwhelmed by the runny texture of the cream, blaming the 27C conditions.
Dipping one of his strawberries in the pool of cream at the bottom of his pot, Mr Cordeiro said: “It’s swimming in it. I can practically drink it. It should be a bit thicker.”
Sean, 54, from Surrey, added: “They don’t look appetising. It’s probably because it’s quite hot.
“The strawberries look a bit old. They aren’t exactly vibrant red. It’s more orangey, sort of what you would get at Tesco.”
Others complained about availability at the All England Club’s five dedicated stands.
Mr Osahrov said he and his girlfriend gave up on buying from the dedicated vendor outside Centre Court after waiting in line for more than 10 minutes.
When The Telegraph visited on Sunday afternoon, two stands near Court 1 were out of strawberries and waiting for the next batch to arrive.
“It will either be 10 minutes, five minutes or an hour,” the shop clerk said. “It happens quite a lot. It’s kind of a gamble.”
She said a lot of customers had been disappointed.
A spokesman for the All England Club said: “The strawberries are hand-picked every morning and delivered directly to site. Each strawberry is hand-hulled on site and placed into boxes for our guests.
“We aim for 10 per box but there is a risk on occasion we fall below this, and indeed on occasion serve more.”