Planning a Picnic Date

Now that Wimbledon is in full swing (pardon the pun), we feel that it’s the perfect time of the year to plan a picnic date.

So here’s our simple guide to the perfect picnic. It might seem like obvious advice, but in the heat of the moment, it’s easy to forget things!

Wear something practical

If you are planning a picnic, try to avoid wearing your skin-tight trousers, or skimpy dress that will make sitting down uncomfortable.

Pack a blanket

Sitting on the grass is a nice feeling, but there’s something luxurious about a nice, soft blanket and you can use it to keep you warm if the date lasts until sunset.

Check for any dietary requirements

You don’t want to pack a crunchy loaf for someone who has coeliac disease, or a range of cheeses for someone who is lactose intolerant. So it is a good idea to check with your date to see if they have any special dietary requirements in advance of doing your shopping.

Keep it cool

If you’ve packed chilled items of food, try to include ice packs to ensure that you don’t end up with warm drinks and sloppy dips.

Focus on finger food

There’s a reason that pork pies and scotch eggs are synonymous with picnics, it’s because they’re easy to eat without a knife and fork.

Other tasty finger food options include carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, onion bhajis, samosas and, of course, the humble sandwich.

If you’re squeamish about mucky hands, pack wet wipes, or hand sanitizer.

Pre-wash items

On the note of hygiene, make sure to wash your fruit and vegetables before you arrive.

Treat yourself to some fizz

If you are both keen to drink (and we understand that not everyone is) it really makes a picnic feel special if you have bottle of chilled sparkling wine and matching glasses.

For non-drinkers, a bottle of elderflower fizz, or a non-alcoholic cocktail, is a great alternative.

Do a stock-check

Take a look through your picnic items and make sure that you have:

• Food –  a good selection of savoury and sweet items
• Drink –  a treat and some water
• Something to sit on
• Glasses
• Plates
• Cutlery if you’re not sticking to finger food
• Napkins
• Wet wipes
• A small sharp knife if you need to cut anything like cheese
• Suntan lotion – the perfect excuse for a sneaky shoulder massage and a good way to stay safe in the sunshine.