A picture of a modern picnic

The school holidays are here – bringing with them long, sunny days. Or at least that’s what we hope. The days will definitely seem even longer if they’re rainy!

Hopefully the summer will bring with it plenty of opportunities for picnics – nothing beats eating al fresco, setting up the picnic blanket at the seaside, in the park, or even in the garden.

But apparently, traditional picnic favourites are being replaced by more ’modern’ food choices. A new survey reveals that two-thirds of us have made a big effort to upgrade our picnic game in recent times, and more than a third admitted to getting competitive about their al fresco spreads. Oo-er.

In research conducted by Flora with 2,000 Brits, it seems jam sandwiches, hard boiled eggs and pork pies are out and hummus, sourdough bread and deli meats are in, all washed down with an artisan lemonade.

No more are we tucking into chicken drumsticks, quiche or cocktail sausages, it’s all about the olives and the rare roast beef.

Now, we like to think we’re a bit of an expert when it comes to picnics. And we think that’s a load of rubbish! Sourdough bread, deli meats, hummus and olives are delicious – and would be very welcome in any picnic we had. But so would quiche, sausage rolls, and hard boiled eggs – which seem to be all the rage in the current trend for high protein diets. You can’t beat a well made sandwich and a quality sausage roll or quiche – we’re not talking about soggy bread, dry pastry and stingy fillings here, we’re talking about the good stuff! Rare roast beef is always a winner – especially in one of our deep filled sandwiches with a touch of horseradish!

We have thousands of day trippers, local lunch grabbers, families, walkers, cyclists and bikers visit our shop every year, perusing our counters for the picnic lunch which grabs their fancy. Everyone’s tastes are different, but for most people their favourite sandwich or a pastry-based main, with maybe some salad sides and some ‘proper’ crisps, ticks all the boxes. Cheese and crackers is always a good one if you’re going for a fancier picnic with plates and cutlery! Finish off with a sweet treat (or maybe even start with one – you could always have an ice cream first. Our locally made Brymor ice creams are amazing!) and your choice of soft or hot drink (or even an alcoholic tipple if you’re not driving), and you’ve a picnic fit for a King or Queen.

The survey did show that whatever we’re eating, after food activities are still the same though in the main - 43 per cent take a football and a third a frisbee. A slightly more technologically-focused one in 10 take their laptop - presumably for catching up on a spot of work, and the same number take a drone.

So, whatever your favourite picnic treat, and wherever your favourite picnic spot – let’s hope the weather is kind this summer for lots of opportunities to get out there!