Time to posh up your picnic
For an upmarket event, you can’t just chuck a blanket on the ground. Talib Choudhry has some tips that are a breath of fresh air
With the sun finally shining, for at least some of this bank holiday weekend, it’s an opportunity to indulge in another great British tradition: the picnic. Banish thoughts of soggy sarnies and plastic cutlery: the humble picnic has been given a makeover and dining al fresco on a bobbly woollen blanket will no longer cut it. Whether you’re enjoying a day at the races, a night at the opera or a country jaunt with the family in tow, here’s how to ensure your picnic looks suitably posh.
Do the groundwork
Start with the basics. Your picnic blanket is both your seating and your table, so choose one large enough to accommodate both people and plates.
The navy and white Shell picnic blanket from Joules (£29.99, joules .com) looks suitably smart for posh picnickers but is practical, too. Made from polyester, it is thick enough to use on damp ground and sand and will comfortably accommodate a family of four, plus picnic paraphernalia. It folds up swiftly and has a carry handle for carting it back to the car.
Fortnum & Mason’s tartan wool rug in duck-egg and caramel (£42.50, fortnumandmason.com) will please traditionalists. It’s big (145 x 200cm), making it perfect for larger gatherings, and has a waterproof backing. The chic leather straps and brass buckles will earn you extra style points – especially if it is accessorised with a Fortnum’s hamper.
Sitting on the ground can become a little uncomfortable as the day goes on, so pack a few cushions if you have room (West Elm’s outdoor designs are bright and summery). Throw in an extra blanket, too – you might need it if the weather turns chilly.
Rise to the occasion
If you’re in formal evening wear at the outdoor opera, then sitting on the floor just won’t do. Invest in a foldable table and chairs to dine in comfort. The Carisbrooke Folding Dining Set from OKA (£333, oka.com) is perfectly sized to fit in the boot of your car and will elevate your picnic – both figuratively and literally. It’s handsome and sturdy enough to use in the garden, too.
For something more unusual – and fun – try the Tiipii hammock bed (£299, tiipiibed.co.uk), which can be suspended from a tree or used with a stand (£239, or £538 for both). There’s enough room for two adults or four children, and it (almost) effortlessly folds into a convenient carry bag and weighs just seven kilos.
Carry favour
“Despite the cold, rainy start to the season, sales of picnic products are already up 27 per cent compared to last year,” says Nicola Hattersley, cookshop buyer at John Lewis. “The Croft Collection hampers and cool bags have been selling particularly well. They are made from hardwearing fabrics but have pretty bamboo and leather trim detailing.”
The Croft picnic tote bag (£60, johnlewis.com) is natty and nifty – it includes a bamboo wine table with foldable legs that slots into a side pocket.
Of course, you might feel that a picnic just isn’t a picnic without a rattan hamper or basket. OKA’S rattan serving collection (pictured above) includes everything from cutlery carriers to condiment holders to give your picnic a traditional feel.
Make sure you have a tray in your serving armoury: Lisa Todd’s birchwood trays (£45, lisatodddesigns .com) are some of the prettiest around. Ideal for resting drinks on, especially if you’re perched on uneven ground.
Plate up
Food snobs might insist that only fine china, crystal glassware and linen napkins will do for refined al fresco dining, but melamine designs are becoming so sophisticated that it’s difficult to tell them apart from the real
thing. Some have the appearance of delicate pottery, but with the benefit of being unbreakable.
OKA’S Peccioli design is among the best. It resembles Italian stoneware with a crackle glaze and comes in cobalt blue or emerald green (from £30 for four side plates, oka.com).
Romantics may prefer Marks & Spencer’s pretty Dovecote melamine range (from £3.50 for a side plate), which is inspired by blue-and-white Delftware. Better still, there’s a coordinating cool bag (£15) and picnic rug (£19.50), if you want to make the perfect match.
Marks & Spencer’s chic Optic picnic tumblers (£3) and wine glasses (£3.50) are also worth a look.
Even paper plates have gone posh: Talking Tables (talkingtables.co.uk) has everything from granny-chic florals to on-trend iridescent finishes. Fun extras include pop-up cake stands and balloon chains to mark out your territory.
Stay cool
It goes without saying that a bottle of champagne (or, better still, English sparkling wine…) is an essential centrepiece for any posh picnic, but there’s nothing worse than a drink served lukewarm on a hot summer’s day. The Cricket Cooler (£75, johnlewis.com) will keep your drinks chilled, but also comes with a set of extendable stumps – perhaps unsurprisingly, it’s an Australian invention. Just don’t forget to pack a cricket bat and ball.