Daylight robbery or reasonable? Wimbledon punters divided over the price of Pimm’s

Punters have been left divided over the price of Pimm’s and other alcoholic beverages at Wimbledon.

The All England Club opened its doors once again on Monday morning for the 138th edition of the tournament.

Tickets are hard to come by and the cost of attending Wimbledon does not get much easier for fans once they have entered the iconic venue.

A meal in one of the club’s restaurants can set you back £100 or more, while the price of alcohol continues to be a subject of debate among tennis fans.

Over half a million fans will attend this year’s championships and many will choose to watch the action, either on court or on the famous hill, with an alcoholic beverage.

From a £2.75 soft drink to a £100 bottle of champagne, there is plenty on offer for thirsty guests.

Pimm’s is synonymous with Wimbledon and punters will have to pay over £12 for a cup this year, or £36 for a jug.

The price of pints, meanwhile, has increased from £8.50 to £8.85 while Wimbledon’s iconic strawberries have gone up in price for the first time since 2010, now costing £2.70.

‘I’m of the opinion that it’s a day out, it’s a treat, and we don’t know if we’re ever going to do this again,’ Phillip Wood, who bagged Court One tickets, told Metro.

‘It is expensive but we’re trying not to think about that. The Pimm’s are expensive, you wouldn’t pay that anywhere else.’

Another fan said: ‘I was at Glastonbury this weekend and it was cheaper at Glastonbury than it is here. So it is a little bit expensive.

‘It’s not outrageous. The Pimm’s are expensive, that feels a little bit punchy to me. That feels like they’re taking advantage of the experience a bit.’

Shaun and Emily, who travelled from Grimsby and camped out overnight to get tickets, compared Wimbledon to ‘being on holiday’ and worrying less about prices.

‘It’s more expensive than I would like it to be but it’s what I expected,’ Shaun said. ‘We didn’t pay to camp so saved on a night in London there. That helps you stomach paying £10 for a pint.’

Emily added: ‘We said on the way in it’s like being on holiday, we’re here once probably and we’re just going to forget about the price of things.’

Scott, who travelled from Falkirk to attend day one of Wimbledon, felt the prices were ‘okay’ and said he was ‘warned’ over the costs ahead of his trip.

‘It’s my first time at Wimbledon but I wasn’t surprised by the prices because I had been warned!’ he said. ‘The prices are okay, I think.’

Another fan, also with Court One tickets, added: ‘For the event it’s maybe reasonable. It’s Wimbledon so you kind of expect it.

‘If I was just out in London I would be more surprised but you are coming to an event so you’re more willing to pay it. But it is still a lot of money.

‘I guess it depends where you’re coming from. I’ve been in London for a few days so it seems fairly normal now but the Pimm’s does seem excessive.’

Wimbledon’s obsession with strawberries

Over 30 tonnes of strawberries are eaten each during the two-week Wimbledon Championships, according to the Wimbledon website.

‘The strawberries served at Wimbledon are a variety named ‘Malling Centenary’ and are produced by Hugh Lowe Farms, a family-run business located just 31 miles away from the Grounds,’ a piece on Wimbledon’s favourite fruit said.

‘To ensure there are enough, 100,000 plants are planted in late March. Our world-famous berries are hand-picked and delivered to the All England Club each morning where they are inspected by our Food & Drink team to make sure only the best are served to our guests.

‘We make sure that any strawberries not eaten during the fortnight aren’t wasted.

‘These are frozen and used to make the strawberry jam for the scones and Victoria sponge served in our Wingfield Café, which is open year round.’

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