Eating al fresco is a simple pleasure, but nobody is taking it for granted after a year spent largely indoors. With the lifting of lockdown allowing us to spend more time in the great outdoors, picnicking is a perfect way to savour the sunshine while maintaining your distance. So make the most of this new-found freedom with our edit of the best picnic kit.
Fortnum & Mason’s traditional four-person Piccadilly Stripe hamper is ideal for a family outing. With bone china mugs and plates, wine glasses, cotton napkins and the classic wicker hamper, it has an old-school elegance, while the mini salt and pepper mills and crucial corkscrew ensure you have everything you need for an al fresco dinner. Just note that a hamper this smart demands to be filled with only the finest foods – no soggy shop-bought sandwiches at this picnic…
Fortnum & Mason Piccadilly Stripe four-person picnic hamper, £425 – buy here
Make dining al fresco a sophisticated and playful affair with Heating & Plumbing’s Hunting Lodge picnic set. The tartan kit comes with a waterproof-backed wool blanket, two cushions, a portable champagne cooler that can be hung craftily from a tree and a cotton bag to carry it all.
Heating & Plumbing Classic Hunting Lodge Ultimate Picnic Tool Kit, £335 – buy here
If you find the wicker and gingham aesthetic of picnics a bit too twee, this minimalist black backpack is for you. The roomy, insulated design means you can lug loads of food around very comfortably. And inside there is a canvas carry case with four melamine plates and stainless steel cutlery.
VonShef Four-Person Roll-Top Picnic Backpack, £29.99 – buy here
If your main priority is a liquid lunch or a sunset toast, invest in a drinks hamper. The White Company’s handcrafted willow-woven basket holds two wine bottles, plus two acrylic glasses and a corkscrew. The insulated lining keeps your drinks crisp and cool and there’s enough space to squeeze in some ice packs and nibbles, too.
The White Company Picnic Drinks Hamper, £45 – buy here
Pack your picnic food the sustainable way with reusable beeswax wraps rather than clingfilm. The cheery designs add pizzazz to your sandwiches, while each wrap saves at least 200 pieces of single-use plastic. The natural wax coating, with organic jojoba oil and tree resin on cotton ensures food stays fresh and is easy to wipe clean after each use.
Joules Children's Earth Lover pack of four Beeswax Wraps, £16.95 – buy here
What’s cooler than being cool? A Yeti cooler. A cult favourite for beach parties, festivals, tailgating and just about anywhere you’d be drinking outdoors, it’s the most reliable cooler around. The ‘ColdLock Gasket’ system ensures your drinks stay icy cold, while the ‘No Sweat’ exterior means you won’t end up with a clammy condensation.
Yeti Roadie 24 Cooler, £199 – buy here
First of all, check the regulations of your local green spaces and find one where barbecues are permitted. Then, when you’re good to grill, set up this compact portable creation, which boasts cool-to-touch chrome handles, a protective base, integrated storage and a porcelain enamel firebox. Designed by master chef Heston Blumenthal, it provides optimal heat, tenderness and charred flavours.
Everdure by Heston Blumenthal Cube Portable Barbecue, £192.99 – buy here
With a waterproof lining and a removable leather strap, this rainbow-bright wool rug gives you somewhere to lounge outside the tent, and doubles up as an extra blanket on chilly nights.
Heating & Plumbing London pure new wool blanket, £155 – buy here
If you're time-poor but looking to impress, Harvey Nichols' Premium Foodmarket Collection Hamper is the ultimate ready-to-go offering this season. Packed inside a sturdy black wicker shell is quadruple chocolate biscuits, fresh coffee, two fine wines, whisky-laced marmalade and more. All you'll have to bring is a blanket, some cutlery and your best conversation.
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Even if you aren't planning a full-blown picnic, it's wise to take your own snacks while cafés and restaurants are still closed. These cute little cool bags are perfect for kids and the young at heart.
Tropical Cooler Bag, £35 – buy here and Breton Style Cooler Bag, £19 – buy here
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