In picnic mood. Dishing up al fresco.

It’s summer, the very best time for a picnic. So pack up your snacks, salads and cool drinks and let’s set off! What could lift the mood more than spreading out a picnic blanket in the garden for family and friends? Or perhaps you’ll build a romantic refuge in a shady part of the park, or by the seaside? We’ve picked some useful tools guaranteed to keep you in high picnic spirits.

Lady Picnic & Lord Sandwich
Once upon a time, a meal outdoors was the preserve of nobility; nowadays it’s entirely democratic. For all you picnic traditionalists, there are elegant creaking baskets equipped with glasses and stainless steel cutlery. Gold-coloured cool bags lend the occasion a royal aura, while picnic rucksacks are now also available for longer trips. When you sit down to eat, why not make yours a double-layered blanket: one side provides protection from the damp and armies of ants, while the other’s all soft and cosy. Here’s another great tip – always carry a penknife with a corkscrew, for a drop of good wine al fresco.

Ambiente-picnic-traditionalists-rucksacks-corkscrew-penknife-01

  • 1  Picnic rucksack and rug from Les Jardins de la Comtesse
  • 2  Cooler bag from BE CooL
  • 3  Picnic basket from Cilio
  • 4  Penknife from Güde

Town, country, garden
All that fresh air makes you hungry, and on warm summer days you need to cool off. If only there weren’t so many flying, stinging things to get stuck into the fruit tarts and fizzy drinks! They can be a bit of a pest at a picnic, so colourful plastic boxes and glasses with lids are useful for more than just fetching and carrying. For your summer party under the shade of an old oak tree, drinks dispensers made of glass are the very latest in nostalgic accessories. And if we hang playful glass wasps around our cake plates, then it’s definitely: ‘Summertime… and the living is easy.’

Ambiente-garden-country-summer days-picknic-glasses-summerparty-picnic-02

  • 1  Salad to go container from Sagaform
  • 2  Glasses, juice dispenser and wooden stand from Leonardo
  • 3  Cutlery and Water jug from Koziol
  • 4  Glasses from Aladdin
  • 5  Lunch pot from Black+Blum
  • 6  Salt & Pepper set and Salad box from Rosti Mepal

Make light work
Have you ever had a sudden urge to get on your bike and barbecue by the lake or seaside? Strong insulated boxes and easy-carry bags will shoulder the burden – they’re ideal for all your barbecue food, sauces and marshmallows. Real rockabillies will love the practical picnic boxes with their own tartan ‘suitcase’: so 1950s retro. There’s a separate little box for cutlery too, so it doesn’t make your bag or basket dirty on the way home. The modern picnicker sets off with lots of easy-clean utensils that can go straight into the dishwasher once they get home again. Neat!

Ambiente-easy-carry bags-picnic-boxes-03
 

  • 1  Cutlery set and lunch box from Aladdin
  • 2  Lunch bag from Black+Blum
  • 3  Foldable box from Meori
  • 4  Bag from Koziol
  • 5 Picnic rug from Sagaform
  • 6  Picnic rucksack from Cilio