Picnic of Dreams

By Eve Tudor

Finally we have been let out of this lockdown weirdness and although for some it’s been a period of enlightenment and time with family, for others it’s been a living hell. But with the sunshine comes the warm embodiment of life coming back to normality and the promise of going outside, seeing friends and having fun!

For me this looks like bottles of rosé or cider to accompany the tables full of delicious food made to be eaten hot or cold, as the day or night conversations and laughter flow with the ones you love. But when you honestly can’t be arsed with the cooking and you just want to sit in the grass with a friend (or to be perfectly honest alone with a lump of cheese!), there really is nothing nicer than nipping to your local little deli, bakery, supermarket, petrol station, whatever and grabbing some delicious things to eat and relax with. You can’t beat a combination some cheese, fruit, fresh bread, olives, pâté, wine, cheese, bread, wine and of course wine. As long as I’ve walked out of the house with a roll of kitchen towel, a bottle opener, knives, a plate or two and something to drink out of, I’m good to go! (I won’t judge if you walk out of the house with a mug to put your wine in! You are saving the planet one drink at a time. Also it’s a hell of a lot nicer than drinking out of a plastic cup!)

I’m privileged to live near some cute little shops. No I don’t live near the best delis in London, but there is a Majestic Wines as well as every supermarket you can think of! But also a GREAT Turkish shop full of absolute delights!!

I do love a prep so I’ll go to them regularly and if an outdoor feeding fest is on the horizon I will get bits in the days before so that I can have that relaxing no cooking day that I’ve planned! I’m a bit

of a snob when it comes to my cheese so I will go to my favourite bakery where they have a really good selection. That Dolce won’t buy itself!

Otherwise there is simply nothing like some fresh bread! Even if you are ‘a white sliced bread’ kinda guy then why not buy a fresh one! Whomever you are with will just dive into that. I’m a Focaccia kinda gal as there is nothing like that divine oily bread with my cheese and olives. I honestly just want to smell olives and rosemary on my fingers all day!

But what else? Bread, cheese, olives, wine (obvs). I love fruit and, let’s face it, that will be eaten all day and night till it’s gone. Tiny tomatoes and curly little cucumbers are so good! Bread sticks and tubs of humous are amazing!! Charcuterie and everything! Frankly I could go on and on all day! To be honest the picnic world is your oyster!! You don’t have to go mad, if you want a cocktail sausage and a Dairylea triangle you enjoy! I think we just need to all relax and enjoy being near other human beings again!

The only thing we have to remember is to not be a dick and take your rubbish home and recycle it! Otherwise, maybe don’t get sunstroke!