Tips for the perfect picnic

As the weather warms up, why not take lunch outdoors? Al fresco dining can be a perfect romantic date, fun family outing or a great way to catch up with friends.

To celebrate National Picnic Week, we share our tips and food ideas for enjoying a perfect, stress-free picnic.

Keeping food cold

When you’re taking out a picnic on a hot day, it’s important to keep it cool, especially when you’re transporting egg, meat and dairy items.

Pack everything in an insulated ice box or freezer bag to keep your food cool and safe on a hot, humid day. Pack in a few ice packs, or if you don’t have any, fill a couple of used plastic bottles two-thirds full of water and freeze the night before. Nestle them into your picnic just before you leave home.

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It’s not just sandwiches and crisps

Be adventurous with your menu. Try quiche, pasties, savoury muffins, cheese scones and wedges of Spanish tortilla, as well as pasta, noodle and vegetable salads.

For an unusual twist on sandwiches, make a muffaletta: cut off the top of a round loaf of bread and hollow it out (saving the breadcrumbs for the freezer). Inside, layer up foods such as chargrilled peppers, olives, sliced tomatoes, ham, cheese, cooked mushrooms and salami. When completely full, replace the top of the loaf, wrap tightly in cling film and weigh it down with a plate and a couple of tins placed on top, refrigerating overnight. At your picnic, unwrap the filled loaf and cut into slices, like a pie.

And if the thought of buttering 12 (or more) individual slices of bread for sandwiches makes you shudder, fill one whole baguette or ciabatta with your favourite fillings, wrap in cling film and take with you. Slice into chunks and serve at the picnic.

Picnic ideas for kids

It might be tempting to chuck in a packet of sweets or chocolate bars for the children, but once unpacked, they can turn sticky and messy to eat.

Instead, take a fruit salad for the kids. They’ll be eating less sugar and the fruit will help them stay hydrated - watermelon, for example, contains around 92% water.

Pinwheel sandwiches are fun for picnics, too - slightly flatten a slice of bread with a rolling pin, spread with soft cheese and ham, and roll up like a swiss roll. Secure with cocktail sticks, wrap in cling film and refrigerate. When cold, remove sticks and slice into rounds.

But don’t make it hard for yourself - when choosing picnic foods for the adults, include some that the children will eat too, so you’ll need to take less.

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Come prepared

Picnics are great for enjoying food, good company and the open air, but they can also be messy. Pack a roll of kitchen towels or wet wipes for sticky hands, and cut whole pies or quiches into slices before you leave, so you don’t need to take extra cutlery.

Also, pack an old carrier bag for bringing home used cutlery and plates, and another for rubbish - just in case there are no bins handy when you’re out.  And don’t forget to take an old towel, rug or blanket to sit on - even though it’s sunny the grass might still be damp.

On-the-go drinks

Water is one of the best and most refreshing drinks you can take out on a hot day. You can also take fruit smoothies, if you pour them into a leak-proof bottle and keep them cold. Or, for a special occasion, whip up a round of cocktails (or mocktails, if you’d rather stay alcohol-free).

Jack Williams, Head Mixologist for Late Night London told Yahoo! that for picnics, he advises using just a few spirits and preparing them in advance: ‘Mix them up at home and then all you need to do in the park is pour,’ he says.

Plan ahead

Make what you can the night before, to save time before you leave home on the day. And avoid taking foods that are sticky or melt very quickly (for example ice cream and chocolate) if you don’t want too much mess.

Also choose foods that you can transport easily: your elaborately-iced cake might look wonderful on your kitchen worktop, but after it’s been wrapped in cling film and bashed around the inside of a cooler it might not. And plan what, and how much food you’re taking, to avoid waste - it’s easy to end up taking too much with you.

For more information on the Great British Picnic, visit the National Picnic Week website. 

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