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Wimbledon strawberries 'perfect' despite soggy spring

Wimbledon's strawberries are "perfect" for tennis fans this year despite Britain's soggy spring, tournament organisers said on Tuesday.

Each year more than 38.4 tons of strawberries (1.92 million strawberries) are picked and consumed during the two-week tournament in London.

A team of pickers at Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent, about 30 miles (48 kilometres) from Wimbledon, start work at dawn each day to pick the fruit before it is shipped to the All England Club.

Juicy red strawberries are as much a part of the image of the Grand Slam as the lush green courts and white clothing worn by the players.

Even as prices have climbed for other Wimbledon staples such as champagne and Pimm's, organisers have kept the price of a box of strawberries pegged at £2.50 ($3.10) since 2010.

Wimbledon director of operations Michelle Dite was asked whether the wet weather in winter and spring had affected the "juiciness or the size" of strawberries.

"I'm not a strawberry grower but they are perfect for Wimbledon this year," she said.

"We're very happy with our strawberries. We work with Marion Regan down in Kent, who is the ultimate professional in strawberry growth.

"In terms of the weather, the strawberries are all about average size so we're not seeing bumper crops but we're very happy with the two million strawberries that we sell every year at Wimbledon."

Dite said tournament organisers had opted to keep strawberries affordable.

"It's just as iconic as going up the (Wimbledon) hill as it is to have some strawberries so that's a choice we take to work with across all our basket of goods, that we keep the strawberries at that price," she said.
Source: AFP