Summer is here and oh boy have we been waiting for these warm days. Its time to dig out the picnic bag and blanket, pack all your favourite summer food dishes and head to the park for a little outdoor adventuring! We’re seasoned picnic professionals here at Fig1, with many an evening spent dining in the garden, the park or on the beach so we couldn’t be more excited for warm summer evenings and nights outside. If you’re a picnic connoisseur like us, read on for our top 10 tips and tricks to elevate your picnic experience to the max.
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1. Keeping Cool and Hydrated
Keep cool and have a cuppa – we mean iced tea of course! As creatives, we love getting in the kitchen and experimenting with different flavours of drinks. Our favourite creation from last year was this iced chai – a perfect pairing for Amaretto if you ask us.
Finding the perfect receptacle for your iced drinks – we recommend the 24 bottles insulated bottles and travel cups. Keeping your cold drinks cold for 24 hour (hence the name) these fantastic bottles are a tried and tested favourite of ours – and especially good for picnics.
You can read our blog here on creating the perfect brew.
2. Moomin Adventures in Picnic Land
Ah, the Moomin adventures strike again! These fun, Moomin adorned enamel mugs, cups, plates and bowls are a favourite for picnicking. Another tried and tested favourite, this lightweight tableware is a must have for all your outdoor adventures.
3. The All Important Blanket
A perfect all rounder picnic blanket can be tricky to find – so if you’re currently searching for a picnic blanket that suits your needs, your search may finally be over!
These recycled cotton blankets from Bloomingville are perfect for a summers day outside or for getting cosy in the winter. With the ability to just be thrown in the wash when mucky, these are another tried and tested picnic must have – we’re pretty sure every one of our Figgie team has at least one of these.
4. For the Classy Picnic Date
Ah – the sun is shining, you’ve found a beautifully peaceful spot – maybe by a river – time to crack out the picnic basket filled with all the tastiest goodies and classy, yet picnic appropriate, tableware.
We just can’t get enough of the Serveur range from House Doctor. Deep green tones with a swirling marble pattern – this lightweight resin collection is one we just keep coming back to again and again.
5. A Spot of Light Reading
Is there anything more relaxing than lying in the sun with a good book and a cold drink? I think not! We love our book range. We’ve got a little of everything at the moment, from cookbooks to kids books, interior design to getting creative and our personal favourite – outdoor adventures.
The ones we keep returning back to are the wild swimming books – these fabulous guides are the perfect travelling companion, especially when the weather is this glorious.
6. Fun Lovin Picnics
Is it really a Fig1 summer blog if we haven’t talked about our favourite Rice DK melamine tableware at least once? These summers patterns really couldn’t project the sunny weather into your kitchen any more!
From colourful shells to bright lemon prints and vibrant flowers, Rice really pulled all the stops out this summer – creating yet again another perfect picnic collection. No wonder they’re a favourite of ours.
7. Unleash Your Creativity
Picnics are a great time for getting creative. With no other worries and responsibilities, we love using our time outside to get hands on. Whether drawing, painting, writing or any other way you like to get creative, being outside is the perfect inspiration for your musings.
We’ve expanded our range of stationery this year, including taking on Kaweco pens – gorgeous German made pens and pencils that are perfect for getting creative.
8. Food Glorious Food
If you’ve followed along for a while you’ll know we’re big foodies here at Fig1 – one day we may stop harping on about food but its definitely not yet.
We love preparing the best selection for our picnics. A particular favourite combination of ours for an easy picnic dinner is a selection of Seggiano antipasti. From Italian made pestos to flatbreads, antipasti, olives, sauces and more – we love curating a delicious Italian spread – yum!
9. Easy Recipes for Hot Days
Last year, we had a little spare time to get in the kitchen and do one of the things we love most – get creative with our recipes. One of the ultimate favourites we created with this freshly pickled cauliflower and cucumber vinegar salad.
This refreshing dish is perfect for a picnic. Easy to make and store – we highly recommend this dish for a hot day
10. French Fashion Made For the Sun
Its a rare occasion its sunny enough to wear sunglasses in the UK so get in quick – this week might be your only chance! Our sunglasses collection from French company Izipizi has fast become a staff favourite. Nearly all of us own a pair of their gorgeous sunnies or reading glasses.
Each pair injects beautiful French fashion into your wardrobe – these are an absolute must have for any picnic.