Lesley Carr, 69, from Maidenhead, said: “It’s quite pricey for what it is, given it’s self-serve, and very little fruit.”
Estelle Hutchinson, 32, from Winchester, said: “It’s the drink that’s most Wimbledon-esque,” adding: “It’s nice on a hot day but it’s quite a lot of money.”
The price of a glass of Pimm’s at Wimbledon is £13.45 at this year’s tournament – up £1.20 from 2025 – with the AELTC blaming the increase on inflation.
The trial includes Stella Artois machines serving the regular lager as well as a limited-edition strawberries and cream version.
The drinks machines mark Wimbledon’s latest foray into automated purchases after introducing “frictionless” payments at a snack shop inside the Walled Garden Larder last year.
The technology allows customers to tap as they enter the shop then it scans their movements as they remove items from the shelves, meaning they can leave with their purchases without queuing.
‘I’d much rather be served by a human’
The innovation cut queueing times to get into the shop by 75 per cent on the previous year, and has become a fixture.
However, the replacement of bar staff with automated self-serve drinks machines has left some spectators hankering for a more human touch.
Sipping sceptically through his cardboard straw, Tim Jowitt, 78, from Arundel, said: “It’s automated, so it’s not really a Pimm’s at Wimbledon. It feels a bit cheap, to be honest.”
The queue for the automated Pimm’s machine stood alongside a far shorter queue for jugs of Pimm’s served by Wimbledon staff.
Luke Sieger, 52, from St Albans, who came to watch the tennis with his wife and eldest son, said he was drawn to the regular Pimm’s queue for the sense of occasion.
“Apparently the machine is colder, but I’d rather have the human touch,” he said. “I’m here for an event and an occasion so I’d much rather be served by a human than a machine.”
The AELTC was approached for comment.