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Be-lavie

The Icons of a Great British Summer

ICONS OF THE GREAT BRITISH SUMMER

22nd July 2020

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In This Article

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  • Pimm’s
  • Strawberries & Cream
  • Scones & Strawberries
  • Eton Mess
  • À bientôt

Tennis season in the form of Wimbledon would usually have passed us by this time of year in the absence of a pandemic, accompanied by a fine selection of quintessential English summer foods. By these I’m eyeing up fruit filled Pimm’s, strawberries, cream, amalgamated into a delicious Eton mess or even some scones topped with the fine creamy stuff!

The Icons of a Great British Summer

In a bid to address my own curiosity about the history of these summer delights, allow me to share my findings as to why the British consumers are so fond of these classics!

The Icons of a Great British Summer

Pimm’s

Pimm’s is hailed as being more British than a cup of tea and served at major tournaments aside from Wimbledon such as Polo matches, the Henley Royal Regatta, graduation ceremonies, wedding welcome drinks (as was the case at my own wedding), and even civilised garden soirees!

The Icons of a Great British Summer

The inventor, James Pimm’s, (originally a farmer’s son from Kent) owned a number of Oyster Bars in London and in 1840, invented the gin-based spirit having a fruity flavour to be used as a tonic. The health benefits of drinking tonics at this time was fashionable hence why the original recipe contained quinine. It was also served in small tankards and called the No. 1 cup, giving it the name, ‘Pimm’s No. 1 Cup’ as we know it.

The Icons of a Great British Summer

Naturally Pimm’s is a secret recipe infusing gin with a mix of herbal botanicals, caramelised orange and warm spices. James also accompanied the drink with the phrase ‘Pimm’s O’ Clock’, which is so widely used today.

The Icons of a Great British Summer

Pimm’s is usually made with one part summer cup and three parts lemonade. It’s garnished with summer strawberries, sliced cucumber, oranges and fresh mint.

Strawberries & Cream

Wimbledon is just as equally about strawberries and clotted cream as it is about the sport! The reasoning for how strawberries became such an integral part of the tournament is a bit of a mystery. However, it may be due to English strawberries being in season at the time and also that they were quite the fashion during Victorian England!

The Icons of a Great British Summer

It is thought, Strawberries and cream were first put together in 1509 when the great Cardinal Wolsey paired them at a banquet during Henry VIII’s reign. A fact I will always reminisce on when I walk past Cardinal Wolsey’s statue in Leicester! It was in 1877, that strawberries and cream were served at Wimbledon, a whopping 400 years later. After all strawberries were a luxury and it was the elite who had the privilege to attend tournaments such as Wimbledon.

To find out more on Cardinal Wolsey and the history of Leicester, have a gander of the posts below:

20 FAMOUS PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH LEICESTER
The Icons of a Great British Summer

Strawberries served at Wimbledon, are grown in Kent County, adjacent to the city of London and can be delivered to the All England club within an hour! It was reported, in 2019, over 140,000 servings of strawberries and 10,000 litres of cream were served at the Tennis tournament.

Scones & Strawberries

Strawberries have a bit of a rep with the English Elite and as a seasonal food they are only available for a short period and their availability marked the start of summer. They seemed to have evolved into a luxury food item widely accessible to the wealthy and were included in afternoon tea in the early summer, although we can have them at anytime of the year now and therefore are a part of the present-day afternoon tea.

The Icons of a Great British Summer

Scones actually came about from a Scottish quick bread and were originally made with oats and griddle baked! They evolved into their present state with their popularity rising around 1788-1862,  with the Duchess of Bedford, Anna’s penchant for taking tea and a sweet bread around 4pm daily! Hence, they are still served just as she had then with clotted cream and jam in Britain!

The Icons of a Great British Summer

Eton Mess

A complete classic and favourite picnic dessert in our household has a widely accepted story! Once upon a time at a Eton v Harrow cricket match, a strawberries, meringue and cream dessert was dropped. Instead of wasting the pudding, someone genius had the idea to scoop it back up and serve it in individual portions, hence Eton Mess was born!

The Icons of a Great British Summer

Personally, I enjoy a good messy desert and tend to serve my strawberries sliced topped with a fine mix of whipped double cream and crushed meringue. Usually in a bow or in more recent years layered in a tumbler! If by any chance the strawberries are super tart, a sprinkling of icing sugar can be added to, based on your taste.

The Icons of a Great British Summer

Scones, strawberries, cream, Eton Mess and Pimm’s are my interpretation of the icons of a British summer and no warm breezed event should go without at least one of these photogenic icons being present, don’t you agree?

The Icons of a Great British Summer

You can find more strawberry recipe ideas from Great British Chefs

So tell me, what’s your British summer icon?

À bientôt

  • The Icons of a Great British Summer
  • The Icons of a Great British Summer
  • The Icons of a Great British Summer
  • The Icons of a Great British Summer
  • The Icons of a Great British Summer
4 Comments
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Bejal

I’m Bejal aka Be, an ex-scientist turned travel writer and digital content creator. I have travelled to 6 continents, visited 70 plus countries, including an around the world trip, making me quite the expert in crafting intricate itineraries. I love to discover some of the world's more remote destinations and stay in some incredible hidden location eco-hotels. My aim is to transport you, my audience, to inspirational and cultural global spots that are less visited and allow you to see the 'real' and authentic side of destinations through detailed guides with a sprinkling of luxury. The spotlight is on eco-friendly responsible experiential travel with lifelong memories.

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  • Mostlyfoodandtravel
    23rd July 2020

    Some true British classics.. love every one of them and really missed the joy of consuming a lot of Pimms and Strawberries in Wimbledon this year. Love this little bit of history post

    Reply
    • Bejal
      Mostlyfoodandtravel
      24th July 2020

      Thanks for reading Neha! The strawberries are amazing at this time of year. To make up for missing out on the Wimbledon summer magic we’ve been having the whole shebang at home minus the Tennis of course!

      Reply
  • Diary of a Londoness
    25th July 2020

    A great line-up, all of which sum up the English summer to a tee. I didn’t realise Cardinal Wolesley was responsible for strawberries and cream. Love it!

    Reply
    • Bejal
      Diary of a Londoness
      25th July 2020

      Thankyou Scarlett! Oh yes us Leicester folk always go on about Cardinal Wolsey when we get the opportunity!So glad you enjoyed the spot of history accompanied by our summer favourites.

      Reply

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Hello, I'm Be, an ex-scientist turned travel writer and digital content creator having travelled to 70 plus countries, all over the globe. My aim is to transport you to less visited inspirational and cultural global spots showing off the 'real' authentic side of destinations through detailed guides with a sprinkling of luxury. The spotlight is on eco-friendly responsible travel with lots of coffee spots and veggie food thrown in!

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