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Strawberries and cream sweets
Strawberries and cream is the taste of Wimbledon, and sweet makers have turned it into a boiled sweet. Here is what goes into them, why there is no cream in the recipes here, and how the sugar free version differs.
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Strawberries and cream sweets are boiled sweets flavoured to taste like strawberries served with cream. The recipes here contain no cream at all: the taste comes from flavourings. See what are boiled sweets?
The Wimbledon connection
Strawberries and cream are traditionally eaten by spectators at the Wimbledon tennis championships, and the dish has become closely tied to the tournament. One story traces the tradition to a visit Henry VIII paid to his Lord Chancellor, Cardinal Wolsey, at Hampton Court, when Wolsey's cook is rumoured to have served wild strawberries with cream. In 2017, fans got through 34,000 kg of British strawberries and 10,000 litres of cream, and in 2019, 191,930 portions of strawberries and cream were served.
What is in them
The UK retailer Sweets and Candy sells two versions.
Strawberry and Cream. Sugar, glucose syrup, water, citric acid, flavourings and the colour E129. The retailer lists them as suitable for vegetarians.
Sugar Free Strawberry and Cream. Isomalt, citric acid, flavouring, the colours anthocyanins and copper chlorophyll, and stevia glycosides as a sweetener. The retailer lists them as vegetarian too.
No cream, but check for milk
Neither recipe lists cream, milk or any other dairy ingredient. Even so, the retailer warns that both may contain milk, and says its sweets are packed where milk is handled, so they are not a safe choice for anyone with a milk allergy: see what does may contain mean on sweets?
The colours
- E129, allura red, colours the sugar version. It is one of the six colours that must carry the warning may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children, and the listing shows it: see the Southampton six colours
- Anthocyanins, in the sugar free version, are plant pigments that can look red, pink, purple, blue or black depending on acidity.
- Copper chlorophyll, also in the sugar free version, is a green colour made from chlorophyll, with the E number E141.
The sugar free version
Isomalt is a sugar substitute made of two sugar alcohols, and stevia glycosides add sweetness. Foods with more than 10 per cent added polyols such as isomalt must carry the warning excessive consumption may produce laxative effects, and this listing does. It also says the sweets are not suitable for children under three: see why do sugar free sweets carry a laxative warning?
Strawberry cousins
For other strawberry sweets, see giant strawberries, strawberry bonbons and fizzy strawberry belts
In our pick and mix
We sell 
Strawberries and Cream by the 100 g. Recipes differ between makers, so the card opens up to show the full ingredients and allergens for the strawberries and cream sweets we actually stock.
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Questions and answers
Is there cream in strawberries and cream sweets?
Not in the recipes here. The sugar version lists sugar, glucose syrup, water, citric acid, flavourings and one colour, so the creamy taste comes from flavouring. The retailer still warns that they may contain milk.
Are strawberries and cream sweets vegetarian?
The retailer lists both recipes here as vegetarian. Recipes vary between makers, so check the label.
Why do sugar free strawberries and cream sweets carry a laxative warning?
They are made with isomalt, a sugar alcohol. In the UK, foods with more than 10 per cent added polyols must say that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects.
Why are strawberries and cream linked with Wimbledon?
Strawberries and cream are traditionally eaten by spectators at the Wimbledon tennis championships, and in 2019, 191,930 portions were served there.
Sources
- Strawberry and cream 1kg, product listing, Sweets and Candy
- Sugar free strawberry and cream 60g, product listing, Sweets and Candy
- Wimbledon Championships, Wikipedia
- Isomalt, Wikipedia
- Chlorophyllin, Wikipedia
- Anthocyanin, Wikipedia
Keep reading
- Questions people askWhat are boiled sweets?Boiled sweets are hard sweets made by boiling sugar syrup until almost no water is left. They set into a glassy solid that dissolves slowly as you suck it.
- How it is madeHow are boiled sweets made?Boiled sweets are sugar syrup boiled to around 160°C, flavoured, coloured and shaped while warm, then set into a glassy solid about 98 per cent sugar.
- Questions people askWhy do sugar free sweets carry a laxative warning?Sugar free sweets use sugar alcohols the gut cannot fully absorb, so too many can cause wind and diarrhoea. The law requires a warning. And the Haribo saga.
- Diet, allergens and labelsThe Southampton six coloursThe Southampton six are E102, E104, E110, E122, E124 and E129, synthetic colours that carry a warning about children. Each one explained.
- Questions people askWhat does may contain mean on sweets?A may contain warning means traces of an allergen could have got in by accident. It is voluntary, and not the same as the allergens in the ingredients.
- How it is madeHow are sweets flavoured?Sweets get their flavour from flavourings, essential oils such as peppermint, fruity esters and juices, often added after cooking so they do not burn off.