Pack your perfect picnic
Nothing says summer like packing up your favourite food and heading into the great outdoors for a fresh-air feast. Whether you’re enjoying wine and cheese on your terrace or taking tea to the park, find your perfect picnic with food editor Emma Sleight’s three tasty takes
Easy cheese & wine
Keep it simple with crowd-pleasing platters of cured meat and a well-stocked cheese board. Make sure you have a good mix of soft and hard cheeses such as our Ashley Chase mature cheddar paired with a creamy whole brie to keep things interesting.
Mix it up with our antipasto selection of Parma ham and Milano, Napoli and Calabrian salami – just add crusty bread and chutney and put everything on boards so guests can serve themselves.
Top tip: Freeze your grapes before you add them to a cheese board. It’ll make them extra crunchy and refreshing and will help keep your cheese cool in the sunshine.
Alfresco afternoon tea
Who said afternoon tea was reserved for the dining table? Take yours down to the woods today with savoury and sweet treats served on our hard-wearing picnic plates. Minimise kitchen prep with a classic sandwich selection and fuss-free finger food like bacon and cheese twists.
End with easy-to-transport family favourites like our chocolate macaroon assortment and bite-sized posh profiteroles, which are full of sea-salted caramel cream. Keep them in Tupperware next to a chilled bottle of pink lemonade until you’re ready to tuck in.
Top tip: Elevate your tea with our floral picnic platter and cake stand – with its pretty pattern, it’s good enough to use both indoors and outside.
Seafood feast
Fish might not be the first thing you think of when you’re planning a summer picnic, but a lavish spread of smoked and cured salmon with a glass of chilled white wine can transform a simple picnic into a special occasion.
Go for a mix of textures with cured and fresh seafood like our impressive poached and dressed side of Lochmuir salmon and a bowl of spicy tandoori prawns. Pack pea shoots and rocket alongside toasted bread, and plenty of lemon wedges to keep things fresh.
Top tip: Fill bottles with lime slices, mint and water and freeze the night before. Pack them in your basket with your seafood to keep everything cold – you can drink the water once it’s defrosted.
FOOD INSPIRATION
Pretty picnicware
Keep your alfresco food safe and chic with our smart range of hard-wearing picnicware and hampers
Refresh your garden
Set the scene for summer outside with three vibrant looks for your terrace, garden or conservatory
