Litter-free picnic guide I Hubbub

LOVE YOUR FOREST LITTER-FREE PICNIC I N S P I R AT I O N G U I D E

H AV E A L I T T E R - F R E E P I C N I C THIS SUMMER! We all want clean, green and safe spaces around us – to live in, work in, play in and picnic in.

Yet 250 tonnes of litter are removed from the Forest of Dean area every year, the same weight as 210 oak trees!

#LoveYourForest explores different ways to keep the Forest of Dean clean - bringing people together to keep this ancient woodland litter-free. So why not take on the litter-free picnic challenge this summer! Challenge yourself to bring as little disposable packaging as possible, making it easy for you to leave no trace (just footprints).

Read on for tips and inspiration.

PICNIC PRODUCTS Here are our top 5 items that make having a litter-free picnic easy:

REUSABLE FOOD C O N TA I N E R S

FOOD WRAPS

FLASKS

Plastic Tupperware or stainless steel containers are all great options for a litter-free picnic. They can be used to store most food items from

There are a large variety of different wraps you can use to wrap things like sandwiches and fruit. For example, beeswax wraps are a good

Flasks such as a thermos can allow you to take a wide range of hot or cold food or drinks.

sandwiches to snacks to salad to rice.

way to keep your food safe and clean.

You could take some soup, tea, or a cold refreshing drink on a hot day.

PICNIC PRODUCTS

P L AT E S , C U P S & C U T L E R Y

BIN BAGS

Reusable plastic plates and cups which are light, easy to clean, and difficult to break. You can even get folding cups, bowls and plates that pack

A separate bag to keep your litter in means

completely flat so easy to transport!

you won’t get other things dirty, stops your litter blowing away, and helps you take your litter home.

RECIPE IDEAS Alongside some sandwiches, fruit, and other snacks – here are some great recipes to help use up the odds and ends in your cupboard.

M O R E G R E A T R E C I P E S A T: H T T P : / / B I T. LY / H U B B U B R E C I P E S

SCRUMPTIOUS SCONES This simple twist on Britain’s favourite tea-time treat is perfect for getting little kings and queens excited about cooking. Serve with Elmlea cream and jam.

Preparation time: 10 minutes. Cooking time: 12-15 minutes.

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • •

225g self-raising flour 1 tsp baking powder 55g Stork block 25g caster sugar 7 tbsp fresh or sour milk 150ml Elmlea Double or Whipping 2-3 tbsp lemon curd 50g raspberries Icing sugar to dust

METHOD 1. Preheat oven to 220ºC, 200ºC fan, Gas mark 7. Grease a baking sheet.

2. Place flour, baking powder and Stork in a mixing bowl and rub in until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and milk and mix with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough.

3. Turn onto a lightly-floured surface. Knead lightly, smoothing away cracks with fingertips.

4. Roll out to a thickness of 1.25cm.

Cut into rounds with plain 5cm floured cutter.

Lightly knead trimming together, roll and cut into rounds as before.

5. Place on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.

6. Whip the Elmlea until stiff. Split the scones and fill with Elmlea and lemon curd, topped with sliced raspberries. Lightly dust with icing sugar.

B E E T R O O T, A P P L E A N D CARROT SALAD Practice improvising in the kitchen with this healthy beetroot salad. Throw in any leftover carrots, courgette, fennel - or similar. Grate together In more ways than one!

Recipe from Nick Wilkinson, The Winging It chef.

INGREDIENTS • • •

• • • • • • • • •

Beetroot Apples Carrots (also nice with fennel, courgette, celeriac – try with whatever you have around) Some lettuce An orange or lemon Olive oil Mustard Sunflower seeds (and/or other seeds) Roughly chopped walnuts Raisins Salt & Pepper Parsley

METHOD 1. Grate the beetroot, apples, carrots etc. into a big mixing bowl.

2. Add raisins if using.

3. Get an empty jam jar, and make the dressing with the juice of an orange, a dash of olive oil, a little (e.g. ¼ teaspoon) mustard, salt and pepper.

4. Put the lid on the jar and shake it. Taste, adjust and when happy add to the grated veggies and toss together.

5. Make a bed of lettuce in a serving bowl, and put the grated vegetable mix on top.

6. Sprinkle with seeds, nuts and chopped parsley (or another herb of your choice).

V E G E TA R I A N G L A M O R G A N SAUSAGE ROLLS Why not try making your own hearty, vegetarian-friendly, packaging-free sausage rolls.

You can make a ton, freeze them and whip them out for Picnics throughout the summer.

INGREDIENTS • • • • •

3 Large white onions, peeled and sliced 1 Clove of garlic, minced 1tsp Chopped thyme 50g panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs 200g cheddar cheese, grated

• • • • •

6 spring onions, finely sliced 2tbsp chives, chopped 2tsp English mustard 2 large eggs 1 roll of ready to cook puff pastry

METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 200c. Place the onions and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a small pan over a medium heat. When you can hear the onions frying, turn the heat right down and cook them for about 30 minutes to caramelise, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and the thyme and cook for a further 15 minutes.

2. Place the pan over a high heat and stir the onions until any water has evaporated. Put the onions in a bowl; add the rest of the ingredients and 1 of the eggs and mix well to combine.

Season with salt and pepper and then use your hands to roll the mix into 2 sausage shapes about 3-4cm wide.

3. Lay them out on a tray and chill for 20 minutes to firm up. Unroll the pastry and cut in half lengthwise. Lay the cheese mix along the pastry, slightly off centre, and brush with beaten egg along the edge of pastry closest to the filling. Roll the pastry over to form 2 long sausage roll shapes and crimp one edge with a fork to seal.

4. Cut each length into 5 small sausage rolls (or 3 larger ones) and score the tops with a knife.

Place the sausage rolls on a baking sheet and brush with the remaining egg. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden.

OUR TOP 6 PICNIC SPOTS There are so many hidden gems in the Forest of Dean waiting to be discovered‌

what are you waiting for? Make your litter-free picnic, grab a blanket, and head out on a mini adventure.

Be sure to let us know your favourite picnic spots with #LoveYourForest or on the Love Your Forest Facebook page.

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BERRY HILL

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BEECHENHURST

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SOUDLEY

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Wenchford Picnic Site, New Rd, Blakeney GL15

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Beechenhurst Lodge, B4226, Coleford GL16 7EJ

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Mallards Pike Lake, Soudley, Cinderford GL14 4.

4

Cannop Ponds, West Dean, Lydney GL15 4JS

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Symonds Yat Rock, Coleford GL16 7NZ

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New Fancy, Lydney GL16 7EL For more information about these sites, search on W W W . F O R E S T R Y. G O V. U K

THINGS TO DO IN THE LOCAL AREA

Visit the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism website

Visit the Forestry Commission for more information on

for great tips and things to do around the Forest of Dean.

picnic sites and other places to go!

W W W. W Y E D E A N T O U R I S M . C O . U K

W W W . F O R E S T R Y. G O V. U K / E N G L A N D

W AY S T O G E T I N V O LV E D W I T H #LOVEYOURFOREST

W AY S T O G E T I N V O LV E D W I T H LOVE YOUR FOREST •

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Visit W W W . H U B B U B . O R G . U K / L O V E - Y O U R - F O R E S T •

Follow the #LoveYourForest hashtag on Twitter

Created by: H U B B U B and L U C O Z A D E R I B E N A S U N T O R Y Supported by: Forest of Dean District Council / Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Tourism / Forestry Commission / Foresters Forest