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Strawberries and cream are emblematic of the Wimbledon Championships, and visitors consumed almost two million berries during the 2024 tournament. The iconic foodie duo is more than just a tennis snack; it is a staple summer dessert that combines two seasonal and fresh ingredients: sweet red berries and rich, heavy cream. Many people enjoy it this plainly, but sugar, chopped nuts, and more fruit are popular additions.

Jack Stein, son of Rick Stein and Executive Chef of the Stein restaurant group, prefers a more unusual flavour combination with this Wimbledon classic. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Jack said: "It's a true taste of British summer, with the berries being perfectly sweet at this time of the year! It's a simple, cooling combination that really hits the spot."

As with any simple dessert, ingredients matter. And that's why Jack swears by one kind of cream - Roda's Cornish Clotted Cream.

He said: "British strawberries are so fresh and sweet this time of the year, and I always pair them with Roda's - it's the best!"

Jack doesn't let his culinary expertise go to waste, which is why he adds a quirky combination of two ingredients to his strawberries and cream: "Modern cooks use a lot of savoury elements in desserts nowadays, kicked off by the now ubiquitous salted caramel", he said.

Jack revealed: "I always love to add some sweet white miso to the cream, and crumble up some nori sheets to sprinkle over the strawberries with icing sugar."

Miso is a fermented soybean paste used in Japanese cuisine, known for its savoury, umami flavour. Miso is easy to find in paste form in most major supermarkets, including Tesco, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Asda, and Ocado.

Nori sheets are thin, dried seaweed often used to wrap sushi or add to soups.

Though an odd addition to strawberries, Jack notes that the two ingredients are "the perfect savoury addition and work really well to add another dimension to the classic dessert."

It turns out Jack isn't alone in suggesting unlikely food pairings. Many chefs have deemed black pepper and strawberries surprisingly complementary, with the bold warmth of black pepper intensifying the strawberries' natural sweetness.

But it's a combination the Stein group chef always avoids: "I'd never add black pepper - it's a combination people often talk about... but to me it tastes like room fragrance!"