Taking your own food to enjoy at one of summer’s great sporting events is a long tradition – just make sure you stick to the rules, says Emma Young
Flaming June is upon us, and with the summer comes a rich tapestry of timeless British traditions woven seamlessly into our remarkable sporting calendar: Royal Ascot, Henley Royal Regatta, Wimbledon, Glorious Goodwood and cricket at Lord’s to name a few. Each event is unique, but they are united by their quintessential Britishness and date back for decades or even centuries.
June also means strawberries. Country lanes are adorned with home-painted signs advertising ‘pick-your-own strawberries and raspberries’. Long summer evenings stretch out luxuriously before us, and our gardens start to groan under the weight of nature’s bounty: fruit and vegetables thrive in the summer sunshine and continue to grow in their multitude. If only we could stagger their arrival over the year? How lovely it would be to walk out and pick tomatoes off the vine in January, February, March or April.
Where better to showcase the best of British produce than in its natural habitat! Wimbledon is famous for serving strawberries and cream, and an estimated 166,000 portions of them are sold over the duration of the tournament.
Towards the end of June the car parks at Royal Ascot fill to bursting with racegoers. Many of them will be looking forward to the long-running tradition of taking their own lunch to enjoy with their family and friends and eat beside their car.
Years ago we treated it like a picnic, but that no longer appears to be the case. Gone are the tartan rugs laid out in their masses, inviting casual, relaxed and understated dining. Now, lavish table settings pop up like daisies around the fields, numerous in their number and decorative in their colour and style. A tablecloth and napkins are a must. Candelabra and a personal butler are becoming the norm – and don’t forget to stash a gazebo discreetly in the car just in case the weather doesn’t play ball!
Three courses are expected to be served, but two are acceptable. Classical music is streamed from phones and tinkles softly from Bluetooth speakers. The world’s largest and grandest outdoor dining room is in full swing.
With all the hustle and bustle going on it’s amazing anybody finishes their lunch and clears it all up before dashing off to watch the royal procession on time. No wonder butlers are becoming more and more popular!
One thing that hasn’t changed is the status of the coveted Car Park 1, the preferred venue for lunch and the place to be seen.
There is now a complete ban on lighting up an impromptu barbecue after the racing has finished, so regulars have come up with an alternative: afternoon tea. A quick dash back to the car after the last race is all that’s required to change the lunch table for a tea table.
This can then be filled with tiers of cakes and sandwiches, cups and saucers. The tea must, of course, always be served from a teapot.
But the new regime of afternoon tea brings with it its own particular obstacles. It has been known for guests, fuelled with Pimm’s and champagne, to over-invite friends back to their party. Car parking spaces are limited by square footage, and not everyone wants your noisy revellers encroaching onto their patch.
If you are found guilty of such an outrage prepare to have your knuckles rapped, as you will no doubt receive a stiffly formal letter from the racecourse authorities. This certainly appears to work – clearly the fear of being relegated to Car Park 5 at future meetings doesn’t bear thinking about for most people!
