Cream of the crop: where to enjoy strawberry season in London

This article is part of a guide to tennis from FT Globetrotter

It is believed to have been Thomas Wolsey who first paired strawberries with cream. The lord chancellor is said to have served the dish in a bid to impress Henry VIII, who later had him arrested for treason. But in 1509, at least, Wolsey was a hit: strawberries became a stalwart at Tudor banquets, and are just as beloved more than five centuries since. 

Britain might not be the biggest producer of strawberries — that prize goes to China — but it is surely the most famous place to eat them. Every year, 1.92mn strawberries are picked and packed off to Wimbledon, where punnets are sold with a dollop of Rodda’s Cornish clotted cream. “We make sure the berries are neither too big nor too small, perfectly shaped (thanks to good pollination) and with a minimum sweetness level measured by a Brix meter [machines that calculate sugar content],” says Marion Regan, managing director at Hugh Lowe Farms in Kent, Wimbledon’s sole supplier for almost 30 years. 

While British berries are on offer from May until September, the UK’s best varieties — such as Malling Centenary or Cambridge Favourite — come into play around July. Why? The hotter the sun, the sweeter the berry, explains Johnnie Collins, a gardener and chef-in-residence at central London’s 180 The Strand and Berkshire hotel Oakley Court. At the height of summer, London’s restaurants hit a strawberry fever pitch, capitalising on the many farms and picking grounds within a short distance of the capital. 

Once British strawberries hit peak season, there isn’t long to buy the largest, juiciest pick. Jump the queue by growing your own. According to Collins, this can be done in a bed, pot or hanging basket with a good-quality soil; you don’t need much space to grow a good berry. “I use green manure from our compost waste to give nutrients to the soil before I plant,” says Collins. “You can keep spreading this around the strawberries to [feed] them along their journey.”

Most of London’s chefs optimise strawberry season for their dessert menus, which are typically more adventurous (although no less delicious) than the bowls of berries and cream served at Wimbledon. Pavlovas are popular (Searcys adds basil coulis and strawberry jelly), as are cheesecakes — try Pantechnicon’s strawberry and lime version, on the venue’s rooftop.

Other ways to enjoy strawberries include with basil, whose earthiness enhances the berries’ sweetness, and, curiously, fish. Scallops are a theme — Marylebone’s Mayha serves a crudo with sliced strawberries — as is cod. A recent menu at Evelyn’s Table paired the latter with green strawberries and asparagus. Strawberries are making their way into London’s summer cocktail scene too: the BST Spritz at Ottolenghi’s Rovi is a strawberries-and-cream-esque special made with gin washed in labneh fat (40ml), St-Germain (15ml), Chamberyzette (10ml), lemon juice (7.5ml), 10ml of strawberry and lemon sherbet and a “splash” of crémant.

Personally, I like mine the Italian way, tossed with chopped mint and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Leave to macerate for 20 minutes and add a pinch of raw sugar. But however you like them, allow for at least one serving of strawberries in their most British form: smothered in cream with a dusting of sugar, served, naturally, in front of the tennis. 

The dishes featured below all coincide with Wimbledon, although ingredients might vary or disappear for a few days. A downside of seasonal produce is unpredictability; avoid disappointment by calling ahead. The sweetest moment of the season might be shortlived, but there’s no shortage of places to enjoy it. Here are some of the best. 

Claridge’s

Brook Street, London W1K 4HR

This classic Mayfair hotel needs no introduction, but its strawberry-themed summer specials offer a new excuse to visit. “There is no better feeling than [eating] a strawberry in the sun,” says executive pastry chef Thibault Hauchard, who combines the berries with Chantilly cream, almonds and green marzipan stalks. 

What initially looks like a heavy dessert is actually a pillow-soft bowl of cream, which you can spoon to your liking over whole and chopped-up strawberries. “Adding marzipan enhances the flavour whilst giving it a wonderful texture,” explains Hauchard, who sources his midsummer strawberries from Annabel’s Deliciously British in Yorkshire. “I love the smell, taste and colour of strawberries — they really bring a dish to life.” Later, head to The Fumoir bar for a Flapper, a blend of strawberry purée, crème de cassis and champagne, served in a flute with a strawberry on top. Much like strawberries at Wimbledon, it’s an old Claridge’s tradition. Follow up — if you dare — with one of the bar’s signature martinis. 

Spring

Somerset House, New Wing, Lancaster Place, London WC2R 1LA

As its name suggests, Skye Gyngell’s restaurant is a paean to seasonality. While the menus change daily, strawberries are a near-permanent feature during the summer months, from roasted berry and balsamic ice cream to coconut cream pie with Gariguettes (a super-sweet variety from Provence).

Gyngell first remembers seeing strawberries “sitting on top of a pavlova with lashings of passion fruit” while growing up in Australia. “It’s still one of my favourite desserts and tastes much better with ripe and perfumed English strawberries,” she says, recalling the “sweet, soft meringue, pillows of cream, sharp passion fruit and large, juicy strawberries”.

Spring’s rotating dessert menu often plays with floral strawberry pairings such as rose geranium, chamomile and verbena — although one of Gyngell’s best-loved accompaniments is coffee. For a take on strawberries and cream, Gyngell has created a vanilla pot de crème with strawberries, espresso caramel and a hazelnut biscuit. The berries are macerated in sugar for an hour before being coated in caramel; coffee keeps the pudding on the right side of sweet. Best served with a double-shot espresso. 

Behind

20 Sidworth Street, London E8 3SD

At Michelin-starred Hackney restaurant Behind, chef-patron Andy Beynon is master of quirky combinations, pairing strawberries with everything from yuzu to pink peppercorns. Beynon’s forte, however, is fish and seafood. As such, his summer tasting menu features sliced raw scallops with his take on a sauce vierge: strawberries, anchovies, tomatoes and olive oil. It’s a dish that focuses on “balancing [the strawberries] with salted ingredients to make them more savoury”, says Benyon, who chose scallops for their “creamy” texture. 

To complete the experience, Beynon pairs his scallops with an English sparkling wine from Dorset’s Langham Estate. “The dish needs something yoghurty, something strawberries-and-cream-esque,” he says. The combination is salty, refreshing — and the perfect level of sweet. 

Benyon’s happiest strawberry memory was spent with his son at Enfield’s Parkside Farm Pick Your Own. “He was about three at the time — the perfect height to [look] under the branches and pick all the strawberries that are missed, which are the really juicy ones,” says Benyon. “I remember him eating them on the way home and completely ruining my car. I was happy — but also pissed off.” 

Gelupo

7 Archer Street, London W1D 7AU

“If you travel around Italy and get lucky,” says Jacob Kenedy, co-founder of Soho ice-cream parlour Gelupo, “you might end up in a town where there’s a sagra going on.” Sagre are local festivals that pop up throughout the year, sometimes in honour of a saint, but mostly dedicated to food. Take the polenta sagra in Anticoli Corrado near Rome, which sees the town’s streets filled with long tables for feasting.

Every summer for the past few years, Kenedy has hosted a strawberry-themed sagra at Gelupo that sees a “disproportionate amount of strawberry gelato on the menu”. The event takes place when the fruit is at its peak, almost always coinciding with Wimbledon. “Strawberries are one of the few fruits that Brits do really well,” says Kenedy. “We grow them well, we love them and we celebrate them. Everyone goes nuts for strawberries.”

It’s true: on a Tuesday evening outside Gelupo, the queue is clamouring with customers, who line up for the parlour’s generous portion sizes, unusual flavours and high-quality ingredients (its sorbets are typically 80-90 per cent fruit). This year’s sagra features an Eton mess gelato made with fior di latte and crispy meringue pieces, a milky strawberry-sherbet flavour and a “premium” wild strawberry sorbet. My personal favourite is the strawberry and pink peppercorn sorbet, a delicately spicy blend with crunchy shavings of pepper. Choose up to three scoops — or take home a 500g tub.

The Aubrey

mandarin oriental hyde park, 66 Knightsbridge, London SW1X 7LA

For a change of pace from British fare, seek out The Aubrey’s izakaya experience in the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge. The Japanese restaurant is named after Aubrey Beardsley, the satirical illustrator and friend of Oscar Wilde, an influence that’s apparent throughout the opulent wood-panelled interiors.

The fin-de-siècle setting makes it the perfect spot to enjoy strawberries. At the end of the 19th century, the fruit was considered a supreme luxury — something that isn’t lost on Sebastian Comerso, executive sous chef at The Aubrey’s hospitality group, Maximal Concepts. Comerso loves strawberries for their versatility but is also fascinated by their treatment in Japan, where varieties number 300 and can sell for up to $500 per berry. For summer he has helped devise a dessert of fresh strawberries, Chantilly cream, homemade shortcake and strawberry and rhubarb ice cream, finished with a strawberry-sake coulis and crunchy freeze-dried berries. The different textures and temperatures make for a delightfully decadent dish.

While Comerso recommends sake or champagne with his strawberry dish, bar director Pietro Rizzo suggests a Peacock Room from his “Yellow Book” of cocktails. The latter gives a creamy effect with Mancino Sakura vermouth, sweet potato shochu, yuzu and tonic: fin-de-siècle decadence at its finest.

Share your favourite spot for strawberries in London during Wimbledon in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter

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