A picnic above the rest

Okay, we know what you’re thinking: ‘Picnics are so 2021…’ — in the UK, we all certainly made the most of our only lockdown freedom when the rules were first relaxed last year. Like many British people, you may be tired of them now that we can socialise without COVID limitations but hear us out: picnics have so much more to give. They can be truly fun and special occasions if you use your imagination and plan ahead.

So, what can we do to make our picnics a little less pedestrian and give them a lot more pizzaz? Let’s find out.

Pick a cuisine

Instead of opting for standard sandwiches and nibbles, why not choose a country, and serve only food that is traditional to that place? Just remember to make sure the grub is still portable!

Here are some menu examples:

• go for for tonnes of delicious vegan Indian recipes.• make vegan potato or kobocha korokke (croquettes), different variations of vegetable sushi, plant-based tsukune (meatballs), kinpira gobo (a colourful burdock root dish), gyozas (dumplings), rice balls, vegetable harumaki (spring rolls), mochi and manju (steamed black sesame red bean buns). Head to the website or look through previous copies of the magazine for recipes and inspiration.