This year's Wimbledon Championships are serving up a blend of high-performance nutrition and environmental consciousness, with players increasingly opting for sustainable food choices. Sushi has emerged as a particularly popular item, with demand so high that a dedicated team of sushi specialists works on-site from the early morning to meet player requests throughout the day.
"We can't make enough of it, they absolutely love it," said a senior member of the catering team. "We have a full-time team of on-site sushi chefs and they are producing from the very early hours of the morning. Sushi is available all times of the day." Breakfast sushi has become a common choice for elite athletes seeking to optimize performance, recovery, and gut health.
Sustainability is a key driver behind the menu changes. Venison has largely replaced beef across the tournament grounds as part of a broader initiative to adopt lower-carbon protein sources. Head chef Bryn Williams noted that venison is more sustainable, has a lower carbon footprint, and is lean and protein-rich. The venison served is sourced from wild deer culled in London's royal parks, aligning with both nutritional and environmental goals.
Other ingredients featured prominently include British-grown quinoa and chia seeds, lemongrass from North Wales, and chalk-stream trout from Hampshire, which has replaced salmon due to environmental concerns. These ingredients are incorporated into player favorites like California rolls and nigiri. "Sushi is always popular with the players, it's number one across the board," a chef confirmed. "We can't make enough of it."
Even beverages are being reimagined through a sustainability lens. A new coffee-based kombucha is brewed using discarded coffee grounds collected from the site, transforming waste into a low-caffeine, probiotic-rich drink. "You're giving a second life to that product. It's a really great breakfast start that also has loads of good gut benefit," said Williams.
The emphasis on gut health reflects a growing trend in elite sports, where athletes are increasingly incorporating fiber-rich, fermented, and plant-based foods to support their microbiome and enhance performance. Despite these modern dietary shifts, traditional Wimbledon fare remains, with approximately 2.8 million strawberries served annually, and surplus fruit utilized in jams and sauces.
For many athletes, the primary focus remains on fueling the demanding schedule of championship tennis, sometimes leading to unconventional combinations, such as pasta topped with cake.