It’s Wimbledon fortnight and that means tennis, rain and the consumption of 27,000 kilos of strawberries at £2.25 a pot.

The Grade I Elsanta berries are delivered fresh from farms in Kent at 5.30am every morning of the tournament. They are served to fans in a polystyrene tub of “not less than 10” pieces of fruit with a dollop of cream.

At this time of year strawberries should be ripe, dark, sweet and perfumed. Find the best at pick-your-own farms, farmers’ markets and supermarkets such as Waitrose, which stocks speciality fragrant, Gariguette and organic varieties.

Try Symphony and Florence varieties in July. Note, though, the results of a recent blind taste test by Which? found that many standard strawberries taste just as good as organic and premium varieties that cost more than double.

Seasonal food recipe finder: May

Raymond Blanc's asparagus tips and Celia Brooks Brown on spring herbs and May's seafood

• A Life in the Day: Fergus Drennan

• Food detective: anchovies

• Cauliflower power

Top 12 UK farmers' markets

Dirty dozen: the best of Britain's 600 local-produce markets where you can buy muddy carrots and misshapen fruit that tastes as it should

Sweetness and light

Not only are they bursting with flavour and natural sweetness, strawberries go hand in hand with so many ingredients

• Gordon Ramsay's recipe for Strawberry Swiss roll

• Gordon Ramsay's recipe for Chilled rice pudding with strawberry soup

• Gordon Ramsay's recipe for Buttermilk pancakes with strawberries and white chocolate sauce

Save pennies by watching the tennis at home with a bowl of strawberries unadorned. Or dip them in balsamic vinegar and serve with mozzarella and prosicutto and a glass of prosecco. Italy’s classic sparkly is light and fragrant and a wallet friendly alternative to champagne. Prosecco Ca’Rosa, Valdobbiadne (£7.99, Oddbins) has lively appley fruit and only 11 per cent alcohol content.

20 Strawberry recipes: Warm strawberry jelly with elderflower and strawberry sauce ; Summer strawberry salad with champagne granita ; Strawberry pavlova ; Strawberry coulis ; Strawberries with rosewater cream ; Strawberry lassi ; Rhubarb and Strawberry Crumble ; Strawberry Soup ; Strawberry sundae ; Basil Sorbet with Strawberry and Peach Salad ; Strawberry tart with mascarpone ; Strawberry ice lollies ; Strawberries and Shortbread ; Raspberry and Strawberry Soufflé ; Strawberry and Red Pepper Sorbet ; Strawberry cake ; Strawberry milkshakes and muffins ; Strawberry and mint salad with champagne granita ; Eton mess ; Prosciutto with mozzarella and strawberries

Around midsummer berries reign supreme in the seasonal fruit kingdom. The sweetly perfumed English strawberry may be king, but gooseberries are approaching their best towards the end of June and tayberries, a Scottish hybrid of the blackberry and the raspberry are ripening, too.

Gooseberries are tart and green early season but soften in taste and texture over summer. Use in crumbles or pies, poach then purée to make the classic fool, ice cream, or a tangy sauce for rich roasts like pork or oily fish such as mackerel.

Purple tayberries can be a touch sharp but work well, like blackberries and raspberries, in summer pudding, pies, sorbet, or in fruit sauces, jams and jellies.

There are now rivals to these traditional soft fruits. Growers of the new aronia berry (or chokeberry) on a farm in Angus, in Scotland, claim that it’s a “super berry” with more antioxidants than blueberries and cranberries. It’s available in juices and smoothies at Juice Almighty bar in Edinburgh (0131 220 6879).

And if you can’t decide between a punnet of strawberries or raspberries then Waitrose has the answer. Dutch-grown Strasberries originate from a wild strawberry breed but are smaller with darker seeds, hence the link to raspberries. Try them dipped in melted dark chocolate.

To match the tart-sweet balance of a creamy gooseberry and elderflower fool try a Coteaux du Layon from the Loire Valley. Yapp Brothers in Mere, Wiltshire (01747 860423), has a Château la Tomaze 1995 (£18.50) made from 100 per cent chenin blanc grapes. It’s a golden wine with unctuous raisin fruit and subtle honey and mineral flavours.

Gooseberries recipes: Griddled mackerel with gooseberry and elderflower sauce ; Gooseberry and Elderflower sorbet ; Crunchy gooseberry fool ;

Click here for more recipes

For the best local produce in your area visit the Times Real Food Directory

Buy gourmet food online from Times Selects

Times Recommends

• How to season a wok
• Chicago Rib Shack hits back at its critics
• Gordon Ramsay: Indian barbecue