Picnic Packing: Essential Picnic Accessories

The arrival of summer heralds picnic season, one of the most fun ways to enjoy a meal with friends and family. There’s something undeniably charming about spreading a blanket on a patch of green, enjoying the sunshine, and feasting al fresco. However, this moveable feast requires a degree of planning and thoughtful preparation. While the thought of a spontaneous outdoor meal is great, the reality often benefits from a little preparation, starting with choosing the right picnic accessories.

That’s where this guide comes in useful. With our picnic essentials, you’ll always be ready to elevate your picnic from a simple meal to a memorable occasion.

Our top picnic accessories

To make sure you are always picnic ready, you need the right kit, starting with our favourite picnic accessories.

Picnic blanket

A super soft backdrop in a pretty colour will draw everyone to the heart of the action. You could go for a neutral background in a subtle design for a sophisticated look or go rustic with a classic checked picnic blanket for a really fun vibe.

Napkins

Napkins are essential and inject pattern and colour into your picnic setup. Fabric is always a treat (and less likely to blow away), while paper options are always a great choice for a larger gathering.

Table setting

Finish the al fresco dining experience by tablescaping your blanket with goblets and tumblers, and a matching jug from Memento Synth. These stunning ‘glasses’, complete with artisan air bubbles, are made of methacrylate and are unbreakable, shock resistant, and importantly, will go in the dishwasher once you are back indoors.

Winner! Your guests won’t believe they are not the real thing.

Seasonings

Add an element of fun with Salt & Pepper Pineapples from Marioluca Giusti. With the appearance of crystal, these stylish salt and pepper shakers are in fact acrylic!

Picnic logistics

With the essential items ticked off, we move on to how you transport your kit to your chosen location.

Cooling solutions

One of the most important picnic accessories is a spacious cooler bag to carry the edibles safely from A to B in a chilled environment. One with compartments keeps things tidy and protected, allowing heavy items to be stashed below, and fragile goodies in the top deck.

A Kywie wine cooler is sure to be a talking point. Made of natural sheepskin, this novel wine bottle cooler keeps pre-chilled bottles cold for up to 4 hours.

Tasty picnic essentials

And now for the food. Choose your menu, prepare your delicious offerings, and take them ready to eat in melamine salad bowls. Don’t forget about your essential serving tools - we love these matching salad servers and bottle openers from Paula G.