Time to head outside for a picnic
When the weather is sunny and warm you can’t beat a good picnic – what’s not to love about sitting out in nature, enjoying being with friends and family and a plate full of delicious food?
And with it being National Picnic Week, we thought we would share our Top Tips to help you plan the perfect picnic!
Make it pretty
Just because you are eating outside doesn’t mean you can’t pay attention to the décor – a colourful rug, a couple of cushions, cloth napkins are always a nice touch
– and if you are planning to stay until dusk a few jars with tea-lights would be pretty and useful.
Keep those bugs away
Did you know that Grapefruits and Bananas are natural insect repellents – so why not pop a few of those in your hamper?
Also why not use Mason Jars with a lid and straw to save bugs falling into your drink!
Chill out
If it’s a super hot day you could always freeze a couple of bottles of water to pop into your hamper/bag which will keep the food cool until you are ready to eat and be a lovely cool drink too! Or take ice cubes in a thermos flask to cool your drinks.
Keeping Clean and Tidy
We recommend taking bin bags and wet wipes – you can never have enough of either!
Food is the hero
Food is definitely the hero of the picnic and you can have much fun choosing what to put in your hamper.
Cheese, cured meats, bread, falafel, sausage rolls and other finger foods make great picnic items not only because they are delicious but they are also easy to pack and eat. My barometer of whether it’s a good picnic food is anything that can be eaten easily from a plate whilst sitting on my knee when I’m sitting on the floor!
Don’t forget the afters!
No surprise, but I always pack a Tipple Tail cake in the hamper! They are great for picnics as the tin protects the cake before eating and if you don’t eat the whole cake it can easily be stored in the tin for later. It also goes really well with the cheese that I inevitably pack for a picnic. Other delicious picnic treats could be homemade pies, cookies or macarons. Slices of fruit such as pineapple, mango, and watermelon are really refreshing fruits to complete a picnic.
The essentials you may not think of!
I always find a tray (if you have room) – for putting the drinks on so they don’t spill is a good idea; foil for wrapping up any uneaten food; an umbrella or some sort of shade to keep you cool – and finally a beer/wine opener!
Wherever you choose to have your picnics this summer and whatever you decide to pack in your hamper we hope you enjoy them!