"Breakfast at Wimbledon" is an eagerly anticipated summer ritual for tennis fans around the world. It's the opportunity to view today's tennis greats compete on the ever-challenging, less common, grass court surface. It's well worth waking up early on a summer weekend to watch this event. As you sit back in your cool air-conditioning with a nice cup of coffee or tea, you can watch superstar tennis players sweat in temperatures close to 100 degrees under the British midday sun. The tournament provides a window onto the last vestiges of gentility with the presence of royalty in the gallery. I always look forward to hearing the quiet lob of the tennis balls and the hushed commentary of the announcers, as I calmly ease into the day.
Invite your tennis-loving friends over to share the spectacle with you at a Wimbledon brunch, and host your most elegant sports party of the year. Set a buffet table dressed in crisp white linens. Use your finest English china, most beautiful crystal goblets and be sure the silver is polished.
Suggest that your guests come in their brightest tennis whites, or elegant silk pajamas. And book time at your local courts to play a few rounds after the Wimbledon coverage ends. After all that watching, you and your friends are sure to be inspired to hit the courts.
The British are not traditionally renowned for their cuisine, but there are certain foods that would be perfect for a brunch, and one seasonal food that must appear on your menu - strawberries. Strawberries are the quintessential Wimbledon ingredient (aside from the tennis players!) Add potatoes, bangers (the British sausage), cheddar cheese, and gin and you've put together a suitably British brunch. Let your centerpiece be a large crystal bowl filled to the brim with whole strawberries. Surround it with several smaller bowls of toppings including granulated sugar, whipped cream, heavy cream, and cinnamon.
Next page: The Brunch Menu
