Quite simply, food tastes better outdoors. A highlight of the foodies' calendar is Taste of London in Regent's Park, the capital's pop-up restaurant festival. So what would the event's stellar chefs pack in their perfect hamper?
For Bryn Williams of Odette's, the ultimate picnic is the birthday gathering for his grandmother — 96 this June — that the family have been celebrating alfresco for 25 years. The clan gather in Loggerheads Country Park, northeast Wales, bringing dishes to share. 'Thank goodness the era of vol-au-vents is over,' quips Bryn, who brings local honey-roast hams and piccalilli.
Chutney is a must for Atul Kochhar of Benares. His picnic hot list, particularly his own mint chutney and mango sandwiches, includes British wild boar salami and chicken tikka pies with fig chutney. Non-alcoholic Cobra beer, plenty of fruit, plus lots of friends and family, too. 'And we'd go somewhere tranquil like St Herbert's Island in Cumbria.'
The seaside is synonymous with picnicking for Tom Aiken. 'I always love going to Blakeney on the north Norfolk coast or Aldeburgh in east Suffolk. Gazpacho and frittata made from leftovers are perfect. I pack prosciutto, pickled artichokes, roast peppers and celeriac rémoulade, too.'
Theo Randall opts for London's Primrose Hill. 'It's great for my children, who love running down the big hill.' He takes fresh crab with aioli, and prosciutto di Parma with charentais melon 'which tastes sweeter in the sun'. Afterwards they head to Marine Ices in Chalk Farm. 'It's often a tie between nocciola or coffee ice cream.'
For a quintessentially British picnic, Jason Atherton, formerly of Maze, always chooses St James's Park. 'When I first came to London and was flat-sharing with 13 other chefs, I'd go to the park to unwind. My ideal picnic is sandwiches made with fruity HP sauce and a good mature cheese, such as Lancashire Bomb, then Eton Mess with raspberries.'
Taste of London, in partnership with
British Airways, takes place 17-20 June (tastefestivals.com/london).
