Picnics: The Rules by William Sitwell
Masterchef critic, food writer and award-winning magazine editor, William Sitwell shares his ideas for a perfect picnic
I love picnics. I love thinking about them. The wicker basket brimming with goodies, a sunny day, delicious wines to quaff and a wonderful spread of lovely things to eat.
But reality can get in the way. This is England. There are wasps, or rain, the discomfort of trying to eat while maintaining a semi-recumbant posture. And there’s all the prep that is needed. However, with some strict rules and simple planning your picnic can go without a hitch. And in addition to the rules, there are two laws that must be obeyed. Law one: bring folding chairs, law two: bring ice packs. These two laws ensure that you will at least be comfortable and have something cool to sip on. And these days you need not bring a cork screw as there are enough great wines that come with screw caps.
As to the rules: here is just the one rule: You may cheat. That means you can buy ready-made stuff, from mixed drinks and dips, to scotch eggs and desserts. No one will give you a prize for the effort you made. It is results that count. And the fact that you aren’t serving salad leaves that will blow away in the wind. Although if you insist on bringing lettuce, don’t dress it at home. Bring the dressing in a jar.
Above all you need flavour, texture and cold drinks. Which means you can keep it simple: French loaves, sourdough, cheese, pâtés, white wine, rosé. And do bring real glassware – preferably tumblers. Nothing tastes good in plastic.
Put all the food out – bar the pud – at the same time, so everyone can graze happily and feast on the vast and rich offering you have.
And bring bin liners for rubbish and a sense of humour for the weather. And then stuff into your cool bag and your hamper as much of the following as possible.
For the hamper:
Manchego – my favourite Spanish goat’s cheese
Trealy Farm air dried ham. British charcuterie – a great conversation topic – it’s delicious
Sliced
cherry tomatoes, popped in a tupperware box with a simple French dressing.
For the cold bag:
3Cs cider: refreshing and fabulous English cider. Available at Fortnum & Mason
Water
Strawberries (remove a few mins before eating)
Pots & Co dessert – their lemon and lime posset is perfect for summer
To order a copy of William’s book, A History of Food in 100 Recipes, by William Sitwell (Collins, £20), drop William an email at williamsitwell@hotmail.com
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