The Times Magazine 63Snacks, booze, sweet treats and deli essentials. By Hannah Evans
POSH PICNIC TREATS
Eat! TASTE TEST
Brindisa
smoked Catalan
almonds
(£6.35 for 150g;
souschef.co.uk)
A smoky, salty
snack best
eaten by the handful in
between sips of cold beer.Sipsmith gin
and tonic (£2.50
per 250ml can;
tesco.com)
Gin in a tin is a
classic. This one is
made with British
gin with great tonic.Simply
Roasted black
truffle crisps
(£1.19; Whole
Foods stores)
Move over,
Torres:
there’s a new posh crisp
in town. These moreish,
intensely savoury snacks
contain 50 per cent less
fat than regular crisps.Alcohol-free lager
(£25 for 12 bottles;
daysbrewing.com)
Perfect for sipping
without getting
sloshed. A crisp,
refreshing 0.0 per
cent ABV lager
that tastes just as good
as the real thing.Picos de
Pan mini
breadsticks
(£2.60;
brindisa.com)
A crunchy
vehicle for
pâté, hummus, guac, or
perfect by themselves.
These bite-size breadsticks
are dangerously easy
to get through.Rum and ginger
(£30 for 12 cans;
eastlondonliquor
company.com)
Don’t get me
started on “hard
seltzers”. I like
my alcohol to make its
presence known, and that’s
what it does in this spicy
rum/ginger beer combo.Parmesan,
toasted pine
nuts and basil
biscuits (£11.20
for 8; thedrinks
bakery.com)
These cheesy
biscuits are specially
designed to be nibbled
with drinks. Pair them
with prosecco, fruity
whites or craft lagers.Verdejo wine
box (£33.99;
drinklaylo.
com)
Wine on tap
is a picnic
no-brainer.
Each box holds three
bottles’ worth of verdejo
in a colourful case. Expert
notes of lime and pineapple.Perelló Gordal
spicy pitted
olives (£3.25;
brindisa.com)
There’s a reason
these olives
have a fan
club. Big and beefy, these
green gordal beauties are
marinated with guindilla
chillies, giving them heat.
Buy at least two tins.The Uncommon
bubbly rosé
(£4.50; ocado.com)
A picnic isn’t
a picnic without
rosé or bubbles.
This can offers
both, without leaving
a metallic taste in your
mouth. Serve ice cold.NIBBLES
BOOZEChocolate florentines (£15.95;
melroseandmorgan.com)
Just the thing to send you
into a post-picnic lull.
Almonds and pistachios
sealed by salted caramel and
dipped in milk chocolate.Hazelnut brownies (£18.50
for 6; cakeordeath.co.uk)
No hamper is complete
without brownies. A batch
of these gooey treats arrives
freshly baked in the post
ready for you to gobble.Lemon and
lime drizzle
cake (£6;
waitrose.
com)
I love
lemon cake that packs
a zesty punch. This is
filled with lemon curd
buttercream, covered with
lime icing and finished
with a swirl of curd.Bourbon
biscuits (£3
for 3; lucocoa
chocolate.com)
The best
biscuits I’ve
eaten all year. These super-
sized bourbons are made by
award-winning chocolatiers
close to the site of the
factory where the original
biscuit was born.Teacakes (£15.95 for 4;
fortnumandmason.com)
Is there anything more
British than a teacake?
Buttery biscuit and cloud-
like marshmallow encased
in handpainted milk or
white chocolate domes. nFOR DESSERTTomato and
beetroot
gazpacho (£5.55;
brindisa.com)
Brindisa has
cracked how to
make delicious
chilled soup that
keeps in the carton. This
is dark purple with a sweet
beetroot flavour.Large pork
pie (£5.99
for 450g;
daylesford.
com)
Nothing beats a proper
pork pie at a picnic. Made
with free-range pork and
thick buttery pastry, it’s no
wonder this hefty pie has
won awards.H Forman &
Son smoked
salmon (£6
for 100g;
waitrose.com)
A gourmet
picnic essential. Thick,
meaty and not stringy in
the slightest, this is the best
smoked salmon. Drape
over crackers with a
squeeze of lemon.Wild boar
pâté with
apricot and
pistachio
(£9.95;
fortnumandmason.com)
Posh pâté with chunks
of dried apricot and nuts.
Expect strong flavours.
Spread sparingly.Organic
smoked
hummus
(£3.49;
daylesford.com)
This hummus has been
smoked over oak to give
it an earthy taste. Perfect
for dunking crudités and
breadsticks or dolloping
on the side of salads.DELI