Behind the collection: strawberries & cream
Our Wimbledon collection was inspired by one of the most popular desserts of the British summer: strawberries and cream. According to the Independent, strawberries and cream were first served together in 1509, when Cardinal Thomas Wolsey paired them at a banquet during Henry VIII's reign. The combination stuck and nearly 400 years later was among the offerings at the first Wimbledon tournament in 1877. Today, all the strawberries served over the 13 day event, are grown in Kent, about an hour southwest of Wimbledon.
Inspired by the iconically British strawberry, we re-imagined the Caroline Gardner signature heart in to a playful, coral strawberry, combined with hints of pale pink and green for ultimate summer vibes.
The design process of our spring and summer 2022 collection started with the team brainstorming about some of our favourite landmarks in London. This meeting resulted in our collections being inspired by Portobello Road, the iconic Kew and of course, Wimbledon.
Wimbledon is a South West London district only half an hour away from our Putney head office. Not only is Wimbledon a beautiful area, with many parks and gardens, the first UK Thai Buddhist temple and a number of theatres, it's also the home of the oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament in the world.
Nothing says summer has arrived in England more than the Wimbledon tennis championship, which has become one of the highlights of the British summer social calendar. The Championships have been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon since 1877, with 608 players competing on outdoor grass courts. This year, Wimbledon will be held between 27th of June and 10th of July, with up to 42,000 spectators expected to attend each day.
A staggering 25 thousand kilograms of strawberries and 7 thousand litres of cream are consumed during the 13 days of the tournament! Plus, there are now vegan-friendly cream options so everyone can enjoy this mouth-watering summer treat.
If you love strawberries as much as we do, take a look at our Wimbledon collection for beautiful stationery & accessories in our juicy Caroline Gardner strawberry motif.
