Game, Set, Snack: A Healthier Wimbledon Spread You Can Make at Home
Strawberries, cream and a centre-court spread — all made at home.
For two weeks each summer, the nation rearranges its schedule around grass-court tennis. The radio commentary drifts through open windows, the strawberries appear by the punnet, and somewhere between the first serve and the final tie-break, the inevitable question lands: what are we going to eat? Wimbledon and food are old doubles partners. An estimated couple of million strawberries disappear at the Championships every year, drowned in cream and chased down with something fizzy. It is a glorious tradition, and the good news is you can recreate the best of it at home for a fraction of Centre Court prices.
Here is our take on a few Wimbledon-inspired dishes: a spread of recipes that capture the strawberries-and-cream spirit of the fortnight, made at home with ingredients you can keep in the cupboard. Some happen to be lighter or plant-based, others are simply our favourite way to enjoy the classics. Below you will find our favourite warm-weather recipes from the Healthy Supplies kitchen, plus the store-cupboard staples that make each one work. Pull up a deckchair.
The strawberry is the undisputed champion of the fortnight, and fresh British berries in July genuinely need very little done to them. But fresh fruit has a short window, and a punnet bought with good intentions on Monday can turn to mush by Wednesday. This is where the store-cupboard versions earn their place. Our Freeze-Dried Strawberries keep their intense, slightly tart flavour without any added sugar, and they bring a satisfying crunch to anything you scatter them over. For baking and blending, Freeze-Dried Strawberry Powder delivers a concentrated hit of colour and taste with no extra moisture, which is exactly what you want when you are trying to keep a dessert from going soggy in the heat.
If you fancy something to raise as the trophy is lifted, our Strawberry, Kombucha and Mint Mojito is a grown-up mocktail that comes together in minutes. Muddle fresh strawberries and mint in the glass, add a splash of lime juice and a handful of ice, then top with organic kombucha and a little sparkling water. The result is sweet, tangy and gently fizzy, with all the celebratory feel of a cocktail and none of the alcohol — a far more refreshing pour than anything from the corner shop, with no syrup and no artificial colour.
Strawberries and cream is the headline act, and the cream you reach for is entirely up to you. For the classic, a jug of proper fresh dairy cream — pouring or whipped — is hard to beat alongside ripe British berries. And for anyone avoiding dairy, the plant-based alternatives have come a long way. Organic Coconut Whipping Cream chills and whips into soft peaks that hold their shape on a plate, while oat-based cream pours beautifully over a bowl of berries without a coconut note, if that is not your thing. Whichever you choose, it is the perfect finishing touch.
For a richer, spoonable cream you can also make your own from cashew nuts. Soaked overnight and blended smooth, cashews turn into a luxurious base that is the secret behind our Strawberry Cashew Ice Cream. You do not need an ice-cream maker: blend whole cashews with a splash of plant milk, maple syrup, a little vanilla paste and a generous spoon of strawberry powder, then stir it every half-hour as it freezes. It is extra-creamy, free from cane sugar, and tastes like the very best parts of summer.
The showstopper: a vegan pavlova
If you want one dessert that says “occasion” without anyone needing to know how easy it was, make a pavlova. Our Vegan Pavlova uses aquafaba — the liquid from a tin of chickpeas, or the ready-bottled version — whisked with icing sugar into a glossy meringue that bakes crisp on the outside and stays marshmallow-soft within. Crown it with whipped coconut cream, a drift of freeze-dried sliced strawberries and a few shavings of dark chocolate, and you have a centrepiece that looks like Centre Court itself: all green grass and white meringue. No eggs, no dairy, and no one will be able to tell.
Tennis and afternoon tea were practically made for each other, and a tray of warm scones is the easiest way to feed a crowd between matches. Our Gluten-Free Scones come together in minutes using gluten-free brown rice flour, a little xanthan gum to bind, gluten-free baking powder for lift and a touch of coconut sugar for a gentle caramel note. Split them while still warm and load them up with organic strawberry fruit spread — sweetened with fruit juice rather than refined sugar — and a spoonful of your cream of choice. The eternal jam-or-cream-first debate is, of course, entirely up to you.
The in-between-games grazing board
Not everything needs to be a sit-down dessert. A long day of tennis calls for things to pick at, and a well-built grazing board keeps everyone fuelled without anyone missing a break point. Think of it as a Wimbledon-coloured spread: green, white and red.
- For the salty, crunchy corner: a bowl of pistachios in their shells slows people down nicely, and a scoop of trail mix covers the urge to keep reaching for something.
- For natural sweetness: a selection from our dried fruit range — alongside fresh berries — gives you that hit of sugar without anything processed.
- For dunking: the leftover whipped coconut cream makes a lovely dip for strawberries, with a little vanilla and a scattering of freeze-dried strawberries on top.
Scatter the board with whole strawberries, a few squares of dark chocolate, and the crunchy freeze-dried fruit, and you have a spread that looks generous, photographs beautifully, and quietly skips most of the refined sugar a shop-bought platter would smuggle in.
No spread is complete without a jug of something cold, and you can build a far more refreshing drink than the sugary fizz that usually does the rounds. Brew a pot of fruit or herbal tea, let it cool, and pour it over ice with plenty of fresh strawberries, cucumber ribbons and a few sprigs of mint for a homemade summer cup that captures the Pimm’s spirit without the sugar load. A jug of still water with sliced strawberries and a squeeze of lemon left to infuse in the fridge does much the same job for anyone who wants to stay properly hydrated through a five-set marathon. For more inspiration, our drinks range has cordials, teas and naturally sparkling options to build on, and a spoonful of leftover strawberry powder stirred into chilled water or a smoothie is an easy way to use up the last of the packet.
The beauty of the Championships is that they go on for two weeks, which is plenty of time to work your way through the whole spread. Start the first weekend with the showstopper pavlova while enthusiasm is high, keep the makings of a strawberry mojito to hand for the heatwave days, run up a tray of scones whenever friends drop round, and lean on the grazing board for the long afternoon sessions. Almost everything here can be prepped ahead and pulled out at the right moment, so you spend the actual matches watching tennis rather than stuck at the kitchen counter.
If you would like more warm-weather ideas, our full recipe collection has hundreds more to browse, from no-churn ice creams to picnic-friendly bakes. However your fortnight plays out, here is to strawberries, sunshine and a deciding set worth staying up for.
This article is provided for general information and recipe inspiration only. It is not nutritional, dietary or medical advice. If you have allergies, intolerances or specific dietary requirements, please check individual product labels and consult a qualified professional where appropriate.