Wimbledon 2024 Debuts Centre Court Cooler as Food and Drink Prices Increase
By Amy-Jo Crowley
Wimbledon 2024: New Offerings and Price Changes for Fans
Centre Court Cooler: The New Signature Cocktail
LONDON, June 27 (Reuters) - Wimbledon will serve up a new signature cocktail for fans visiting the All England Club this year as organisers prepare to keep more than 500,000 guests refreshed during the two-week tournament starting on Monday.
“We have a new signature cocktail, the Centre Court Cooler, which is gin-based and very tasty,” Michelle Dite, operations director at the All England Club, told Reuters.
“We spend a year reflecting on previous Championships and looking at what more we could do differently for the future,” she said.
“We want to make sure that anyone who comes that their experience is not short of outstanding.”
The £12.80 Centre Court Cooler is made up of gin, lemon juice, cucumber juice and elderflower.
Wimbledon’s Massive Catering Operation
Scale of Service
With 55 kitchens on site with 292 kitchen staff, Wimbledon is the largest annual catering operation in sport across Europe, Dite said.
Food and Drink Consumption
Fans are expected to consume 345,000 glasses of Pimm’s and 2.5 million strawberries with 17,363 litres of cream during the fortnight.
An estimated 315,000 restaurant meals will be served alongside 19,000 portions of fish and chips and 27,000 pizzas, while 230,000 cups of tea and 24,396 bottles of champagne are also expected to be sold.
Price Increases and Sourcing
Inflation-Driven Price Rises
Prices have risen slightly, driven by inflation.
A punnet of strawberries will cost £2.85, up 15p from last year, while a glass of Pimm’s has increased by £1.20 to £13.45.
Strawberry Sourcing
The strawberries are among Wimbledon's top selling items and continue to be sourced by Hugh Lowe Farms, a family-owned business in Kent, Dite said.
On-Court Updates and Fan Experience
Star Players and Tournament Highlights
On court, 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will be making a comeback after a four-year absence, while world number one Jannik Sinner will be attempting to defend the men’s title.
Electronic Line-Calling Improvements
Organisers have also made changes to the electronic line-calling system after some players complained that they could not hear the calls.
“We’ve learned a few lessons about volume and making sure players can hear the calls,” Dite said.
Visual Indicators for Line Calls
Visual indicators for live electronic line-calling will be introduced across all courts, displaying “out” and “fault” calls on scoreboards.
Ticketing and Seat Resell Enhancements
“We’ve also learnt a few lessons about who can pick up and purchase tickets… we’re hoping to increase productivity of ticket resell and filling more seats when people leave for the day,” Dite said.
(Reporting by Amy-Jo Crowley in London, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
