Wimbledon Now Has An Indian Wedding Connection And It’s Cold, Sweet and Very Delhi

What is Wimbledon without its iconic strawberries and cream? That iconic treat has just found an unexpected new avatar in India, and this time it comes on a stick.

In news that puts Indian desserts on the global map, the All England Lawn Tennis Club has partnered with Delhi’s legendary Kuremal’s Kulfi to create a special Strawberries & Cream Kulfi. It’s inspired by one of the tennis tournament’s most beloved traditions and it means a lot in circles back home. For Kuremal, a brand that has spent decades serving generations of Delhiites and becoming a favourite at weddings and large celebrations, the collaboration is rather momentous, translating to a rare milestone when a local dessert brand stepped onto a global stage with a dessert as simple yet loved as a kulfi.

In a chat with Manifest, Vishal Sharma, fourth-generation director of Kuremal Kulfi, shares how the partnership was far from an impulsive exercise or a quick process. He says, "It was a rather long process. It didn’t happen overnight. It took around two to three months to finalise everything. We had several discussions with Wimbledon with regards to what would work best in India, what flavours would resonate with people, and what would deliver the best overall experience.”

‘They wanted to retain the originality and flavours of both’

If you’re already wondering what the flavour came up to be, here’s what they decided on as Sharma adds, “They (All England Lawn Tennis Club) were particular about retaining the traditions, which included the originality of their snack—strawberries & cream and the flavour of our traditional Kulfi. That was mainly the reason they had approached Kuremal’s in the first place. The sports brand had been looking to collaborate with a dessert brand that stood for its traditions and hence, chose ours. What followed was a lot of testing of flavours. Samples were sent overseas and the Wimbledon team in India also tasted some of them.”

The final profile took time to come through. He states: “We created several versions during the development stage. There were different strawberries-and-cream concepts, including a strawberries-and-cream stick kulfi. Multiple variations were made and tested before the final product was selected. Wimbledon had approached several companies and restaurants to see who could best recreate and present the flavour. In the end, our stick kulfi was chosen.”

The director shares why: “One of the reasons was that stick kulfi is deeply rooted in Indian tradition. The team felt that while the other versions tasted good, they leaned more towards an English-style dessert experience. Our stick kulfi managed to capture the Wimbledon strawberries-and-cream flavour which they believed was a fusion of English style and India’s traditional kulfi culture.” 

Other versions included serving strawberries with cream poured on top in a cup, but the stick kulfi stood out because it blended both traditions in a unique way."

For a brand that regularly caters weddings, corporate events and large gatherings, Wimbledon represented a different kind of milestone.

"Yes, we are part of many events regularly, but the Wimbledon collaboration is rather special. It was exciting to receive the proposal because Wimbledon is such an iconic global event, and being able to reinterpret one of its most famous traditions through an Indian kulfi was a unique opportunity for us," he says.

Old Delhi Favourite to Wedding Essential

While the Wimbledon collaboration has put Kuremal’s in the spotlight, weddings remain one of the brand’s strongest growth areas. Vishal revealed that the brand had been in the catering business and working weddings for over 70 years now, and over the years, Kuremal’s has become known for its fruit-stuffed kulfis, a concept that transformed the traditional frozen dessert into a talking point at celebrations. 

The innovation initially began with watermelon kulfi that came out of an urgent crisis when the dessert at a wedding got over and all that was left were watermelons. With 200 to 300 guests around and no dessert they kicked a plan into action: “A watermelon can serve about 20 to 30 people, so we decided to create a whole new flavour right there by stuffing kulfi into the watermelon. It got liked by a lot of people, and that gradually expanded into a range of unusual creations.”

Different flavours came into play here post that, as he informs: "After that, we introduced several new varieties. First we did stuffed mangoes as this is a fruit that everybody loves. Then, we slowly experimented with stuffed pomegranates and followed that with stuffed oranges and then a stuffed guava. All these flavours came out gradually over five years”

For catering events, they also worked with custard apples (sharifa). He says, “Custard apples are very delicate for stuffing. The fruit is soft and expensive so we offer stuffed custard apples rarely and mostly on special requests. Fruits like that require special handling."

What Gen Z Wants at Weddings?

As wedding trends evolve, younger couples are increasingly looking for personalised experiences rather than standard menus. Vishal agrees that Gen Z has played a major role in driving demand for unusual fruit-based kulfis. "Yes, definitely. For instance, we have catered at several high-profile weddings and events and even served at venues like G.K. Jewelers and at weddings connected with Akshay Kumar sir. When guests see these unique kulfis at such events, they later contact us through referrals,” he says, adding, “They ask us if we can create kulfis inside other fruits as well. One customer, for example, loved stuffed apple kulfi. Along with other fruit options, stuffed apple was their favourite. They told us, ‘I definitely want this at my wedding because I want my guests to experience it.’ So we innovated and created it for them. That’s how these ideas spread from one event to another."

This reflects a shift where couples are increasingly seeking customised food experiences that guests are likely to remember and share on social media.

Why Kulfi Continues to Win at Weddings

In an era of elaborate dessert tables filled with pastries, cakes and international sweets, Vishal believes kulfi still has an advantage, people actually relish it. "I think kulfi is already a signature item. Of course, there are bakery counters and elaborate dessert spreads, too. But we have seen that those often don’t get consumed as much as our kulfis. For example, if there’s a gathering of 500 people, we tell clients to order 800 or even 1,000 pieces because they will finish. People don’t stop at one. They often eat two or three. People eat kulfi in winter, too. I have outlets across Delhi, and customers enjoy kulfi or ice cream regardless of the season. More and more people also now understand that kulfi is a better option than many processed frozen desserts. I often hear parents telling their children, ‘Don’t eat too much ice cream, have this instead. At least it’s healthier. Awareness has increased through social media, news and online content."

Stuffed Apple and Mango? Sounds Good!

A trend that continues to gain momentum is the demand for exclusive personalised wedding flavours and they took that up with innovative flair. “We did stuffed apple, stuffed custard apple, stuffed strawberry, stuffed watermelon and stuffed muskmelon, all of which are special creations made for weddings and customised events.”

Customisation is key as he adds, “If someone specifically asks for a certain fruit, we create it. Or if they want it, we create a stuffed dragon fruit kulfi. We also recommend the flavours that we know work the best, but we let them know that many fruits can be turned into customised kulfi creations."

Following its successful Wimbledon collaboration, the Delhi dessert brand is also open to exploring future partnerships. If anything interesting comes in, you can be sure Kuremal will plan  a flavour around it!