Fans don't despair of spending money at Wimbledon despite the high prices. Photo: The Telegraph/Heathcliff O'Malley
The hard sale starts across the street from Southfields tube station. On the 15-minute descent to the All England Club, you pass Wimbledon Park Sports advertising official towels, yours at £39 each, two at £70. Further down the road, a DropShot coffee shop outpost operates from someone's driveway. Then another entrepreneur in the garden is selling panama hats and will hold a full-length mirror while you look at your reflection.
The belt-tightening has yet to make it to South West London, where the mood is more like the Roaring Twenties than a mortgage-induced nervous breakdown. The appetite for puffy maxi dresses and crisp linen suits never dies, as does the thirst for Pimm's beer in the garden, which costs £11.20 for a refillable cup or £32.60 for a pitcher.
Like most sporting events today, Wimbledon has an innate desire to separate as much cash from your wallet or contactless currency from your smartphone as possible. Inside, some prices are shaking. Roll up, roll up for £22 giant autograph balloons, £9.70 glasses of wine and a £12 official souvenir programme, here as in any other context a huge waste of money and paper.
< p>The food and drink prices in particular mean many take advantage of Wimbledon's generous picnic allowance which allows a bottle of wine per person and any food you can fit in a soft-walled container – hard-walled refrigerators have been banned in 2005 due to security. fears that prohibited items may be hidden in them.
Abigail Slater and Matt Crawford bought their meals at Marks and Spencer and ate near Court 18 on Henman Hill. Would they have brought their own food at less crowded times? “Maybe not, but I've always enjoyed picnics, so I'd have them anyway,” Abigail said. “There are queues for things too,” Matt said, “it’s just easier to bring your own food.”
He and Abigail live in the area, so they were able to buy a public ticket for £90 each. “I think it's value for money for the price of a ticket because you're paying £60 or £70 to watch a football game that ends in two hours,” Matt said. “At least you have a whole day here.”
Pimm's sells for a refreshing price of £12 sterling a piece. glass is £2 cheaper than the Chelsea Flower Show. Photo: Getty Images/Patrick Smith
Susie Adams was not horrified by Pimms' price. “About £12 is good because at the Chelsea Flower Show a few weeks ago it cost £14,” she said. She has been coming here for years and was with Kirsty Ayers on Sunday, both paid £125 for ballot papers in the first court. They were also at the team picnic, although they had the official Wimbledon bag with a bottle of Rose Rioja. “It's expensive, it's £75 per person, but it's a five course meal,” Kirsty said. “But you can keep the basket.” One would hope for this for £150.
Sarah and Dean Clark had been stung by Wimbledon's prices before, so they brought their own bottle of Malbec from the supermarket for £14. “Sometimes it's extortion, but people pay the price,” Dean said. “As long as they pay, they will charge.”
Their two previous visits were for hosting, where they paid around £1,000 each for court tickets, a three-course Michel Roux Jr. menu, afternoon tea and unlimited booze. “The first time we did it, we were like ‘wow’ because it was new, but the second time it wasn’t such good value,” said Sarah. “So we've got a backpack today,” Dean said. This time their main expense was Center Court tickets, also by vote, at £155 each. From four-figure packages to bringing your own booze, is this a cost-of-living crisis in action? “Definitely,” says Dean, “100 percent.”
Despite the BYO epidemic, the stalls are ticking all over the place. However, the official store is the most efficient place to separate the ruble from his money. Wimbledon scented candles are available for £26 and come in three versions: Strawberry and Sizzle, Fresh Cut Grass and Cameron Norrie Sweaty Socks.
Strawberries and cream cost £2.50 a basket for ten years. Photo: Getty Images/Julian Finney
Quarter zip knit sweater with official logo? It will be 130 pounds, sir. And if you're planning the world's most tragic man cave, you can purchase a giant racket for the enticing £600 price tag. Unfortunately, after the antics of the Just Stop Oil affiliates, the puzzle sets were unavailable.
This is where Wimbledon's commercial controversy comes into play most vividly. Down the stairs at the ticket office is a wonderful lawn tennis museum with enough memorabilia to keep a tennis anorak busy for a few hours. There are plenty of buttons to push, levers to pull, and video games to play to distract kids who are tired of mixed couples. Tickets are usually £15 for adults which seems like a steal. Access is free for the duration of the tournament.
Indeed, Wimbledon gives you much of what other places use as a source of extra income. Several fountains for filling water bottles, a decent amount of free space and benches, stands with cardboard copies of trophies, where an employee will take a photo on visitors' phones for free.
The cost of a day at Wimbledon
It is important to note that Wimbledon does not look overtly commercial . There are brand logos, but there are not many of them at such large sporting events. There are no giant hamburger images here, just neat text menus, no billboards around the court, and of course no official betting partner. There is a lot for sale here, but you rarely feel sold. The biggest line was for strawberries and cream, £2.50 a basket, as it has been for a decade.
Wimbledon can charge you a lot of money, but almost everything here is an optional add-on. In fact, if you're willing to stand in line and bring your own food, the £27 first week ticket to the grounds is one of the best deals in British sports.
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