How to Host a Wimbledon Brunch
This week I’ve teamed up with Christy Linens to bring you ideas for hosting a Wimbledon brunch viewing party. I’ve designed a brunch table with menu items that are a whimsical play on traditional English favorites, and I’ve incorporated a few of the Wimbledon themed products that Christy Linens has, as part of the themed decor.
This brunch is a perfect example of why I love working with brands to create entertaining ideas. It challenges me to come up with new concepts that are outside of my own personal experience. I never would have thought to host a Wimbledon brunch because tennis isn’t really “our thing,” although we watch the big tournaments like most people. But I know there are plenty of tennis enthusiasts out there who would love to host this party with a few pals, and I’ve made it easy to do so with the following ideas and tips.
To be honest I had my old high school friend and her husband in mind while I was creating this as they are big tennis people {cheers Kelly and Craig}. In fact she just had a tennis themed birthday party for him!
Keep in mind this Wimbledon brunch can easily translate into any tennis themed party for birthdays or maybe a tennis team you’re part of.
Wimbledon Brunch Menu
Let’s start with the food since this is a brunch after all. Since you’ll be hosting this as a viewing party you want guests to be able to move around freely – sort of like a cocktail party – so they can watch, eat, and mingle at the same time. For that reason I decided to forego any casseroles or other plated items that would keep one bound to a table setting.
- “Bangers and Mash” – If you’ve heard of English food you’ve probably heard of bangers and mash as one of the quintessential comfort foods. I thought it would be fun to turn it into party food by serving mashed potatoes in mini martini glasses, and topping with cooked sausage medallions. They look adorable and taste delicious!
- “Fish and Chips” – Another classic meal of the English, these fish and chips get an upscale twist. I serve smoked salmon potato bites, topped with sour cream, dill, and capers.
- English Cheeses – Cheese is perfect for any entertaining, but for a Wimbledon brunch you want to stay true to the regional offerings. Look for Cheshire, Derby, Gloucester, Stilton, or English Cheddar. Stay away from feta, chevre, or brie as they are common to other areas. For my plate I found a delicious white Stilton with mango & ginger, double Gloucester with chives, and classic English cheddar.
- Scones and English Muffins – Well you can’t have an English brunch without scones can you! Serve them up with clotted cream, lemon curd, and strawberry preserves. Have softened butter for the English muffins (America’s answer to English crumpets). I can’t remember when or even if I’ve had clotted cream on scones but it was delicious when paired with the lemon curd or preserves!
- Strawberries & Cream – Another classic choice for the Wimbledon set – strawberries and cream – are served here but with a spin. These are served in England with a liquid cream but I like the tastier version here with my cream cheese dip recipe. You can either stuff the strawberries if you have the time, or just put out a bowl of fresh berries and let guests dunk them in the dip.
- Pimm’s Cup – You absolutely MUST serve a Pimm’s cup at a Wimbledon brunch. EVERYone drinks them while they’re watching the matches and they’re as iconic as it gets. Stay tuned for my recipe coming.
- Hot Tea and Champagne – Have hot tea available for your guests as well as champagne {sparkling wine}. The English love their tea, and well, everyone loves their champs for a festive brunch!
Wimbledon Brunch Decor
For me the food table is always the focal point, especially if this is a small gathering. I literally bought 3 “symbols” to help create the tennis theme: tennis balls, vintage tennis rackets, and tennis wrist bands. Christy Linens provided the towels from their Wimbledon collection which brings the look home!
- Foundation – The towels are “his and hers” and the colors really pop. Green and purple {mens} are the official colors of Wimbledon, while the pink and black {womens} has a feminine touch. They are used as casual table covers the same as you would use a table runner, cloth, or toppers. They’re fun used in this way because they help to “brand” the party, and then you can use them for the beach, pool, or bath.
- Flowers – Flowers make any table more beautiful. I purchased 4 different bunches from Trader Joe’s {about $20 worth}, and mixed them together in a silver urn that resembles a trophy cup. I think they look fantastic and if a florist made this it would be a LOT more than $20!
- Tennis Rackets – I searched high and low for some vintage wooden rackets with the wooden frame and finally found three of them at Goodwill. I don’t think they’re actually that old but they definitely bring the feel that I was looking for – tradition and character. I place them casually around the table and used one as a “tray” on the table to hold our Pimm’s cup drinks.
- Tennis Balls – I loaded up on tennis balls so I could fill wire baskets and have a few in other areas as well. After the party you can always use them on the court!
- Tennis Wrist Bands – While shopping for the tennis balls I saw the sweat bands and knew I could do something cool with them. I decided they would make terrific glass koozies! This is a great lesson in keeping your mind open because you never know what you might find that fits perfectly into your theme.
- Menu Card – Make sure you have a menu card written or printed out so your guests know what they’re having. The food is all great displayed on the table but half the fun is reading the play on words and seeing all the English traditions listed out.
More Party Details
- You may want to set a formal table if some guests are more comfortable that way. Set one up with easy view of the television so no one has to miss a thing. Use a tea pot to hold a small flower arrangement for the centerpiece.
- To help theme the table use wash cloths from Christy Linen’s Wimbledon collection to serve as napkins. They add color, the Wimbledon emblem, and nothing cleans up dirty hands better than a wash cloth.
- Use a tennis ball at each plate to act as a place card. Just write guests names on the ball with a sharpie marker.
- Set up your bar cart with your hot tea and champagne. Place a small wire basket of tennis balls to dress it up.
Are you ready to host your own Wimbledon brunch watch party now? You can head over to enter a giveaway from Christy Linens worth over $240, that will help you get started.
Let me know if you’ll be watching the matches and what you think of these brunch ideas. Cheers!
These home entertaining ideas are brought to you in partnership with Christy Linens. All ideas and opinions are my own. See how I work with brands to bring you original content, here.
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