What to Pack in Your Great British Picnic

Posted on 08 Jun 2017 by Anna Scott
For a country that has such temperamental summer weather, we sure do love out planned outdoor activities and there’s nothing more British and outdoors than a picnic. Although we have come around to the ways of the barbecue in recent years, there’s something about a selection of cold cuts and pastries that exemplifies our unique culinary heritage, so if you’re planning a summer picnic anytime soon, why not follow a few of these recommendations?

 

Children picnic


 

The Perfect British Picnic Basket


Ok, so this might not be an actual basket, mostly because baskets are cumbersome and not waterproof, no matter how much they look the part. But that doesn’t mean you have to chuck everything in an old backpack. There are plenty of stylish tailormade picnic bags and sets available and with Joules discount codes you can save money on their Four Person Picnic Rucksack which is not only a sturdy but stylish option, but also contains every implement you could need for the perfect picnic including cutlery, plastic plates and glasses, a small wooden chopping board and even a cheese knife. And talking of implements, throwaway may be convenient, but it’s not exactly environmentally friendly. Consider investing in a set of good quality melamine plates (also available from Joules) and they will last you for many picnics to come.

 

Easy Picnic Snacks


There are two types of British picnic food: the type that you would love to make from scratch yourself in theory, but are just so much easier to buy from the shops, and the type that is well within your realms of expertise to put together yourself. Let’s focus on the former first. In this category falls many quintessential British Picnic favourites including Scotch Eggs, Cornish Pasties, Pork Pies and Sausage Rolls. And if anyone has even attempted to make their own Pork Pies at home then we salute you.

 

Sandwich Fillings


Now this is the sort of thing that tastes so much better if you make them yourself, but there are a few things you should take note of first. For wet or moist sandwich fillings, please don’t make up the sandwiches the night, or even a few hours before your picnic – this will make the bread soggy and the whole thing completely unappetising, and the same goes if you want to put slices of tomato or cucumber in them. It’s much more fun (and tasty) to pack the fillings separately, take fresh sliced bread or rolls with you and let everyone assemble their own sandwiches once you’re there.

So what about those sandwich fillings then? Well, cheese and pickle is the classic British option (just pack containers of grated Cheddar and a small pot of pickle), but another one worth attempting is your own Coronation Chicken filling – it tastes best when using shredded leftover roast chicken combined with a few tablespoons of plain or Greek Yoghurt, a spoonful each of mayo and Mango Chutney and a teaspoon of curry powder.

 

Everything in Jars


Small Tupperware containers are very useful in a British Picnic scenario, but another thing you might want to consider doing is saving your jam jars for the same reason. Once they’ve been sterilised in the dishwasher, they can be used to store individual salad servings (along with the salad dressing), and even jellies and cream. Just don’t forget to pack the spoons too.

 

There’s one thing we haven’t mentioned yet that is essential for any British picnic – suitable clothing. But worry not, we’ve got everything covered (literally) in our post about how to dress for the British summertime so you won’t get soaked or sunburnt. And now all that’s left to do is find the perfect picnic spot, and we’re certainly not short of those in our gorgeous countryside.

 

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