
How to Pull Off the Perfect Picnic
Summer is in full flow and for many of you this means a round of barbecues, summer parties, outdoor dining and that quintessentially British tradition - the picnic. If you’re thinking of gathering the family, heading to a local beauty spot and throwing down that well-worn tartan blanket in preparation for an alfresco feast then read on as we’re going to show you how to have a picnic to end all picnics!Location, location, location
Before you even so much as open the fridge, you should first pick a suitable location for your picnic. If you’re taking the kids along then you probably don’t want to be stuck in the car for hours, especially if it’s a hot day, so opt for the local park or beauty spot. If you do choose to venture further afield, take in to consideration things such as traffic, whether there’s parking close by, and perhaps most importantly, what the weather is going to be like.
Pack it up, pack it in…
The food you’ll be eating is obviously a huge part of any picnic but if you don’t have the right gear to store it in then you could end up sorely disappointed once you get to your venue and find what can only be described as a sodden mess. Obviously, the type of food you’ll be taking will dictate the type of containers you opt for but there are a few hard and fast rules you shouldn’t deviate from to ensure your munchies stay fresh and protected en route. If you’re taking sandwiches (and if you aren’t, what kind of a picnic do you call that!), be sure to keep them sealed in a hard container so as to avoid crushing. Make sure that the containers are NOT airtight though, as this is a sure-fire way to ensure the bread goes soggy.
What’s cooking?
Nothing. Should be the answer to that question. Once you introduce naked flames and fuel to a picnic it not only ceases to be a picnic but it also makes the operational aspect infinitely more difficult. Avoid your summer feast morphing into a barbecue by sticking to traditional picnic fare such as sandwiches, scotch eggs, sausage rolls, wraps, salads of all denominations and of course, a selection of cheeses! A general rule of thumb is ‘make it finger-friendly’ (so a ‘rule of finger’, really).
Get tooled up
For the authentic British picnic experience you simply have to use real crockery, cutlery and glassware – sipping rose from a plastic beaker just isn’t quite the same! Plus, not using disposable plates and knives and forks is better for the environment. Of course, this isn’t always convenient, especially for those who like to travel light or have children in tow. Whatever option you plum for just make sure you have the staples of plates, forks, knives, napkins, cups and/or beakers, glasses and a chopping board. If you are taking glassware though, ensure that it is sufficiently protected from breakage – a space-saving solution is to wrap plates and other fragile items in your picnic blanket and glassware in napkins.
13 July 2015
Comments