We're not saying that you'll need all these items for a picnic, but we can guarantee you'll want them.
Les Jardins De La Comtesse — Saint Germain four person wicker picnic basket
Put all your eggs in one basket with this classic wicker picnic hamper. It comes fully stocked with crockery and glassware for four people, plus napkins, a corkscrew and a waterproof bag to store dirty plates.
£124 from www.selfridges.com
Chilcott Herringbone Blanket- Ocean
Ensure you stay warm and cosy when those afternoon picnics inevitably turn into evening drinks, with this luxurious Herringbone blanket from Chilcott. Each blanket is made using 100% Romney lambswool and spun and dyed exclusively in the Yorkshire Dales.
£165 from www.chilcottuk.com
Outdoor Wood Grain Aluminium Folding Camping Chair
We’ve all been there — we pat the grass, convinced its dry, only to stand up with creaky knees an hour or so later to find a very damp rear. With this portable folding camping chair from Outerior, you will never have to sit on a crumpled reusable shopping bag, or the corner of someone else’s jacket ever again.
£79.99 from www.theouterior.com
Slingsby Cool Bag Set
Luke warm beer is for amateurs, and you are so much better than that. This cool bag from Slingsby —whose rhubarb and marmalade gins are great favourites of our — comes with six ready-mixed concoctions. The aforementioned flavours are present and correct, but there’s also a delicious Damson & Blackberry gin spritz that is really wonderful.
£25 from www.spiritofharrogate.co.uk
Coupette’s signature Apples cocktail in a can
If you’re looking for something similar but with a little more chic credentials, then London cocktail bar La Coupette have just started canning and selling their signature Apple cocktail in a can. They’re pricey — it’s a penny under five pounds for each tin — but the drink is a wonderful, refreshing tipple that will really add something special to a picnic. Just take it easy in the sunshine, however: they’ll slip down far more easily than their 8% abv suggests.
£4.99 per can at coupette-market.com
Contigo Ashland Chill Matte Black
Research shows that 7.7 billion water bottles are used a year in the UK, with each person contributing 150 on average. Make a difference by bringing a refillable water bottle to your next picnic, and help do your bit for the environment, one sip at a time. This matte black option from Contigo is described as ‘100% leak proof’ (which you’d pretty much hope would be the starting point for any liquid container) as well as keeping your drink chilled for 24 hours.
£25.17 from www.amazon.com
Afternoon Tea Hamper for two
If you like the idea of a picnic, but don’t like the idea of A. making one, or B. queueing in a supermarket with their latest meal-deal in hand, then this is for you. Colette, a gourmet Deli in Chelsea, offers a wide range of ready made hampers. Their afternoon tea hamper for two is extra delicious, with Crayfish on Brioche, Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese on Sourdough, plus a selection of tasty treats, including Vanilla Flan and Lemon Drizzle cake.
£125 from www.colette.co.uk
Rainbow Stripe Luxury Picnic Rug
A beautifully bright herringbone rug with a durable waterproof backing canvas, that is sure to brighten up even the most dreary of days.
£100 from www.thebritishblanketcompany.com
Ooni Fyra 12 Portable Outdoor Pizza Oven
Okay, so you wouldn’t take this with you to the park — but it’s portable enough to take away for the weekend, say. And it’ll help you say goodbye to sad-looking ham sandwiches and a packet of crisps — the Ooni Fyra pizza oven is guaranteed to elevate any picnic experience. Get it up to temperature — i.e. 400˚ celsius and above — and the magic of cooking a wood-fired pizza in 60 seconds or so can happen, a process which is unfailingly delicious. The contemporary design is fuelled by wood pellets, and at 11kg with detachable legs and chimney, it is easily transportable. Well, maybe not ‘easily’, but it’s certainly doable.
£249 from www.johnlewis.com
Holiday Beach Umbrella by Business & Pleasure Co
A fair weather umbrella comes in the shape of this tasselled navy striped number. With its twisted cork-screw bottom, it stands tall in both sand and grass, perfect for long lazy days at the beach or sunny days in the park.
£169 from www.amara.com
