Top Picnic Ideas For Your Sussex Holiday

Thursday, July 20th, 2017

Picnic basket on sunny Sussex beach

Did you know that picnic is not actually an English word? It dates from the mid 18th century from the French ‘pique-nique’ to describe a social event where each guest brings some of the food.

Here at Happy Homes Property Management we love a good picnic so we thought we’d share some of our top tips. These will help you put on a fabulous spread for your holiday outdoor feast in beautiful Sussex!

Picnic Essentials

If you’re staying in a holiday cottage it can be a little daunting to try and put a great picnic together. For the essentials we’d suggest either using plastic plates and glasses if there are some in the property or purchasing some paper plates and plastic glasses to use. These will ensure nothing gets broken and are also lighter to carry.  When you’re packing the picnic bag don’t forget the most critical element of all the picnic equipment – the bottle opener or corkscrew!

You will also need something to put the picnic on. If you don’t have a blanket or rug of your own then take a tablecloth to put the food on and sit on the grass – blankets can be heavy to carry and difficult to clean. With the British weather we’re not always assured of brilliant sunshine but you will want to keep the food cool whatever the temperature. If you do not have a coolbox in your holiday cottage, freeze some juice cartons or water bottles to act as ice blocks in the picnic bag.

You will also need a bag to take home any rubbish and we’d recommend some hand wipes as well. Make sure you pack everything up after the picnic so it makes it way back to your holiday home. This ensures you will not lose any of your deposit as the cottage owner needs to replace things.

What To Eat?

For the picnic itself, stock up at some of the fantastic farm shops we have in Sussex. Runcton Farm Shop, Chichester says it has ‘everything you need for a weekly shop’ and a lovely delicatessen for those tubs of olives and tomatoes to tuck into. If you’re after something sweet then Crossbush Farm Shop, Near Littlehampton has cakes and pastries as well as Sussex wines, beer and liqueurs. For local bread, meat and even yogurt, we’d recommend Charlie’s Farm Shop, Bury, near Pulborough. We love the fresh produce at the Sussex Produce Company in Steying and Westons Farm Shop near Horsham.

If you’re feeling more adventurous then how about doing a ‘pick your own’ session to gather the ingredients for your picnic? There’s nothing like tucking into a nice fresh punnet of strawberries or blackberries on a sunny day. Roundstone Farm, Worthing and Maynards in Wadhurst are both fantastic pick your own farms. New House Farm Shop in Horsham has pick your own crops as well as a giant Maize Maze if you fancy some entertainment whilst you’re there!

What to Drink?

A picnic wouldn’t be a picnic without a nice glass of something chilled, plus you’re on holiday so you’re allowed to treat yourself! Pop into one of the many Sussex vineyards and pick up a bottle of locally produced wine. Many of our vineyards are award winning and there are some great wines to enjoy. We can recommend the Nutbourne vineyards near Pulborough and Upperton Vineyards near Petworth. For a fantastic sparkling wine, try the Ridgeview Vineyard near Ditchling.

Where to Picnic?

So your holiday picnic should now be fit for a king with all the flavoursome local produce you’ve sourced. But where to have the picnic itself? If you love the sound of the sea then we’d suggest one our beautiful Sussex beaches. Climping Beach is a lovely quiet beach whilst the Witterings have miles of sand to enjoy. If you’d prefer some country views for your picnic then the South Downs National Park is a must. Your holiday home may be in easy reach of a National Trust property so you could combine a visit to Nymans, Sheffield Park Gardens or Standen House with your picnic.

If you need some help with ideas of places to picnic or help deciding where to visit, please contact Christopher and the team on 07825 212834 or email hello@happyhomesmanagement.co.uk.

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