Fueling Wimbledon: What it’s like to feed half a million people at the world’s most prestigious tennis tournament

(LONDON) — Imagine organising a party for over half a million people and having to manage 3,000 staff, over 55 kitchens and almost 300 chefs in one of the world’s largest catering companies. And then having to make sure everyone gets what they want, so everyone goes home happy and satisfied?

This is where Perdita Sedov comes into the picture.

The Wimbledon Championships, held annually in south-west London for over 150 years, are an absolutely massive event in the tennis world. And in the culinary world, it doesn’t get much bigger either.

Wimbledon is the largest annual catering operation in Europe, according to tennis officials. Sedov — who heads up food and beverage for the event — works year-round to oversee every culinary detail to ensure the event not only runs smoothly, but actually enhances people’s experiences.

“Ultimately, it’s about making sure that when you go to Wimbledon, which is a bucket list event for many people who may only go once in their life, that you experience the experience through the food and the drinks, but also through what you experience when you watch tennis,” Sedov told ABC News.

From a management perspective, the numbers are staggering. In 2023, Wimbledon served a total of 281,151 hot meals during the two-week event, along with over 50 tonnes of strawberries, 14,968 litres of cream and 102,144 scones to accompany them.

And what would Wimbledon be without the drinks. In 2023, at least 257,381 cups of tea were served, a figure that pales in comparison to the 341,202 glasses of Pimm’s and lemonade consumed by the roadside.

But for Sedov, the biggest pressure comes in deciding what to serve her demanding and increasingly international clientele, while also ensuring there are options to suit the dietary requirements of everyone who walks through the front gates of Wimbledon. How can you cater to everyone when they want something different, and still exceed their expectations?

“There will be guests who come to the event and want what is considered ‘traditional British food’, like fish and chips,” Sedov said. “Then there will be someone who wants to try something a bit more cutting-edge or something that is a bit more trendy and we want to make sure we have that full range and that we’re not a one trick pony.”

It starts with showcasing the best of what British food is and can be, by always serving the best ingredients that are in season. And, perhaps most importantly, by not just adhering to traditions but pushing them in new directions.

“British food can be quite simple and quite traditional, but I think we’re also hugely influenced here in the UK. We have so many different cultures and different mixes of people and the great thing is that everyone brings their own perspective on food,” Sedov said. “There’s the classic example of chicken tikka masala. Why do we have that here? Because it took Indian food and adapted it to British tastes. But everything is growing now, so I think the great thing about British food is that there are almost no boundaries. It’s really about hospitality and showing that Britain produces really great food, great agriculture, great cheeses, strawberries, animals and a big part of that is representing it well.”

This is clearly evident when you enter the Wimbledon grounds and see how much choice guests have across the 42-acre site.

“We’re really conscious that even though we’re the British tennis tournament, our players, our guests, a lot of people come from all over the world, so we also want to show a little bit of what’s happening outside of our borders,” Sedov said. “For example, this year we’ve got a new poke bowl option, we’re doing Korean fried chicken, we’ve got tofu options, but we’ve also got our fish and chips, our fish finger sandwich, easy but delicious items like burgers and hot dogs, and even a plant-based bagel without the pastrami. One of our most popular sandwiches is ham and cheese. Just really simple. Not everything has to be all about bells and whistles.”

In recent years, Wimbledon has evolved into a model of sustainability that is now an “integral focus in all food and beverage planning and delivery during the Championships and throughout the year-round operation,” the tennis organization said.

Not a single ingredient has been flown into The Championships in 2023, something Wimbledon hopes to make a permanent feature in the future.

“We source responsibly and work with suppliers to ensure the very best for our guests, the environment and the ingredients. We only buy free-range eggs, only use Fairtrade sugar and are committed to the Sustainable Fish Cities campaign,” Wimbledon told ABC News. “In addition, our partnership with food rescue charity City Harvest continues to ensure that food is not wasted but redistributed locally. We also donate seasonally to local food banks in the community.”

Sedov worked as an English teacher abroad, in Mexico, Cambodia and various places in Africa, before moving into food and working in restaurant chains. She then worked in independent establishments and eventually became a policy advisor before landing at Wimbledon for the past seven years. She said her job is about finding common ground and constantly tweaking things to find the perfect balance.

“Food is such a common language and bond for people. It’s that simple, even if you don’t speak the same language. I’ve always been interested in food,” Sedov said. “The reason I like working at Wimbledon is that it’s such a different way of doing food and drink. You’re trying to feed players, members, tourists, colleagues, guests, all these different people who need different things from their food.”

“Players need it to actually fuel them. They look for very specific diets, ingredients and details, as opposed to someone who might want to try British food for the first time and they want to get their hands on the strawberries and cream from Wimbledon and experience the local fare,” Sedov continued. “It’s fascinating.”

But even though every element of the tournament looks and feels perfect, from the grass on the court to the plants on the grounds and the food on the participants’ plates, there is always room for small improvements. That is another step towards perfection.

“In 2015, the gap between the French Open and Wimbledon went from two to three weeks,” Sedov said. “When that happened, the strawberries we bought weren’t at their peak for the second week of the tournament. So what did we do? We changed the entire variety of strawberries we bought so that they would be perfectly in season.”

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