The garden picnic
The garden picnic
It’s a simple fact that fresh, summertime food tastes better outdoors. A slice of peppery frittata. Squares of crumbly lemon shortbread. Or Kalamata olives and a chilled drink, all enjoyed while sitting on a blanket beneath clear blue skies.
Except, as anyone who’s lugged a picnic basket ‘just that little bit further’ in search of the elusively perfect spot knows, that’s not quite the full story. Unpacking sadly misshapen sandwiches. Grappling with bendy forks and floppy paper plates, and drinking warm wine from paper cups. Yes, it’s all part of it and yes, there’s a certain charm, but sometimes it doesn’t quite feel like the picnic that we had in mind. If you’ve gone to the trouble of making delicious food, you need to honour your spread with proper plates, glasses that you can chink and cutlery that feels reassuringly solid and does the job properly.
The answer is to prepare a moveable feast but not roam very far at all. Your back garden – or your favourite patch in a nearby field – will serve you well and means you needn’t traipse for very long. You can still enjoy all that’s lovely about being outdoors, except you’ll also have all the benefits of being close to home. Your food will travel well and can be served just as you intended. Your elderflower, wine or lemonade will remain chilled to perfection. You can also carry out the odd piece of furniture to make the setting more comfortable – our collapsible butler’s tray tables and Denham campaign chairs are perfect – just leave bigger pieces behind to preserve the picnic atmosphere.
To cushion your glasses and plates for a short trip out, create a sleeping bag with linen napkins. Devote one sturdy-handled picnic basket to food and drink, and use a second for crockery and cutlery. A couple of picnic rugs can be looped over an arm. And because you’re not travelling too far, you can even take plump cushions and some soft throws too. As the sun starts to dip down, these will be doubly useful, allowing everyone to linger outdoors a little longer. And so that it still feels definitely picnic-y, wrap your sandwiches in parchment paper, present dressings in jam jars, and carry out ice cubes in a family-sized Thermos flask.
When everything goes smoothly, a picnic can almost feel like a mini holiday. So keep the journey simple. No map-reading required.
Jo Leevers writes for some of the UK’s most acclaimed lifestyle magazines and national newspapers, from The Telegraph to Homes & Antiques.
