10 Top Tips for a Successful Picnic

Ensure all picnic foods are simple to transport and not too heavy to carry. Some picnic spots are isolated with a long walk to reach them. Opt for paper or plastic plates and cutlery: also easier to carry.

Make picnic food interesting and easy to eat – think finger food. Salad in boxes takes up much room, instead stuff pitta bread with goat’s cheese and handfuls of salad – two in one.

Avoid ice cream, sticky puddings, and cakes –  they are fragile to transport and wasps and other insects love them.

Prepare just a few things and do them well. To ease up on the cooking visit your local deli or farm shop and top up a few homemade goodies like mini sausage rolls. 

The fun of a picnic is to spread all the food on the blanket and let everyone laze around, helping themselves. Multiple courses not necessary!

Plan carefully how much food you may eat. Take too much and you have to carry it all back.

Use cool bags or an icebox -picnic hampers look lovely but often are heavy to carry whereas a coolbox/bags will keep food at the correct temperature to help avoid any risk of food poisoning.

Put small bottles of water, juice in the freezer for a few hours before the picnic if you have time. These can then double-up as chiller-blocks to keep food cold and when you reach your picnic spot, the drinks will still be cold.

What You MUST Take

• The sun may shine so take sunglasses and sunblock.
• Napkins or hand wipes, bugs love sticky fingers.
• A good, reliable bug spray, just in case.
• Bags to take all your rubbish home. Make sure the perfect picnic spot remains a perfect picnic spot.

What You Must NOT Take

• A radio or music system of any kind.
• An unruly dog (or kids).
• Unless allowed, candles, portable barbecues or any other fire risk.