Plan the perfect picnic menu

Make it simple
Full of gutsy flavour

Remember that people seem to have larger appetites outdoors!

Simple fare, but lots of it, is better than anything too rich.

Provide picnic food which is easy to eat too - especially if you're reclining on a blanket on the ground! Finger food is best or something which just requires a fork.

Pack simple food but not too many choices – you don’t want to be constantly passing things round. A picnic should be a relaxed affair with an easy to recognise, wholesome, menu.

If time is at a premium you can take advantage of the vast range of ready-prepared foodstuffs available in the supermarkets and local delicatessens.

They can certainly help you create a quick picnic. You can put together an entire meal just from their selections of pies, terrines, cooked meats and antipasti.

Add a bag of pre-washed salad, some pre-cut crudités, and a nice crusty loaf of bread and there you have it!


If, however, you have the time, and like me, you really enjoy trying new recipes, then search this site for recipes for picnics and keep popping in (or add to your RSS feed - see left) because I add new recipes on a regular basis.

Why not get a whole load of extra recipes too? - by signing up for my quarterly newsheet, The Picnic Post.

Something sweet to finish? Go for fresh fruit or cakes that will withstand a journey, such as pineapple fruit cake, brownies, or sturdy flapjacks.

Forget meringues, too much chocolate, which melts, or creamy cakes, which can spoil in the heat (if it’s hot!).

If it's a very hot day and you want cheese, choose a French Brie or Camembert, which will ooze deliciously in the heat, rather than a hard variety such as Cheddar, which will go oily if it's left in the sun.

Leave your best bottles of wine at home and put cheap and cheerful plonk on the picnic menu. If there’s going to be just one choice, then go for something like a dry rosé – chilled at home in the fridge and then kept in cool-bags.