Cream.
It is the archetypical dressing of scones, cakes and, most famously, strawberries.
The dairy delicacy of rich white cow juice is a British staple that we lather over sweet baked goods or fruits, giving them the velvety exterior we so desire.
There is no more famous cream dealer than The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club during the Wimbledon championships in July.
Here, strawberries are the targets, priced at £2.50 with a minimum of 10 per portion, but do these same-day-picked summer sweeteners get enough of the white stuff.
With 28,000kg of strawberries divided into around 140,000 servings during the 14-day event, there is a colossal 10,000ltrs of cream to accompany them.
Calculations suggest that for each 200g serving of strawberries, we are treated to around 71ml of cream to go with it.
But is that enough?
Research by Dr Stuart Farrimond, in conjunction with supermarket chain Morrisons, found that a ratio of 70:30 of strawberries to cream is the perfect balance, which Wimbledon seems to have nailed.
But is that what the people want?
One Wimbledon regular said: “No I think it’s a bit thin in terms of cream coverage, and you don’t get enough strawberries!”
A Twitter poll suggested that most people like an more than healthy amount of cream, with 56% choosing our “give me all the cream” option, followed closely by “a moderate amount” with 44%.
Surprisingly, no one chose “a splash of cream”, however, feedback did show that some prefer no cream, instead choosing plain, or an alternative such as balsamic vinegar or Greek yoghurt.
This creamy conundrum may never be resolved, but with 140,000 servings to nearly half a million attendees, the Wimbledon experience is certainly considered the crème de la cream.
