Tennis players at Wimbledon are enjoying unique and unconventional meals, according to the tournament’s chefs. Some of the unusual dishes include pasta topped with cake and sushi varieties like nigiri and California rolls served for breakfast. Sam Kent, the head chef at Wimbledon, mentioned the players’ love for sushi, which is available throughout the day, with a dedicated team of off-site sushi chefs starting early to meet the demand.
In a sustainability effort, venison sourced from London’s royal parks is now being used instead of beef in various restaurants at Wimbledon. The initiative aims to reduce food waste, extending even to the excess strawberries ordered annually from a Kent supplier. These surplus strawberries are preserved and transformed into jam, served year-round at the club. Additionally, they are used in a strawberry sauce accompanying fried Karachi chicken in the club’s garden area. Any uneaten food is donated to City Harvest, a local charity, using a van humorously named Vandy Murray.
In a new development, used coffee grounds are being brewed into low-caffeine kombucha for players at Wimbledon. This initiative not only repurposes the coffee grounds but also introduces a drink rich in probiotics and prebiotics, offering numerous gut health benefits. As part of its commitment to sustainability, Wimbledon is gradually phasing out ingredients like beef from its menus to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. Chefs at the All England Club are now emphasizing the versatility and environmental benefits of deer meat, which is being featured in various dishes across the club’s restaurants.
Brynn Williams, overseeing The Renshaw dining area for debenture ticket holders, highlighted the nutritional density of venison, praising its health benefits for both individuals and the environment. Joe Furber, the senior food and drinks manager at the All England Club, emphasized the sustainability and lower carbon footprint of venison compared to beef, noting the abundance of venison available in the country. The introduction of venison has been a collaborative effort with Levy, Wimbledon’s official caterer, which has successfully introduced the meat at other venues like Twickenham and the O2 Arena.
In line with the environmental focus, players at Wimbledon are now enjoying kombucha made from recycled coffee grounds, believed to offer probiotic advantages. Moreover, the granola used in the coconut chia pudding served to players is sweetened with mugolio, a unique ingredient made from fermented green pine cones collected in spring.