How to have the perfect picnic at the beach
Summer is here and it's time to let loose! Or not quite... in the daily life of an adult there is not as much time for rest as we would like.
Still, you'll definitely go to the beach at least once this season. And when you do, you'll probably want to snack, too. Swimming and sunbathing all day long will definitely make you hungry.
No matter how "perfect" you want your beach picnic to be, there are factors you can't escape. One of them is sand, which, no matter how hard you try, will always find its way into your food. It is not possible to limit it, even if you wash your hands often, use dishes or refrain from building sandcastles. If you are prepared for this from the beginning, you will not be disappointed later on during you picnic at the beach. You also can't avoid the pesky seagulls that will always circle around you and pester you for food. But here’s some advice from us; don't feed them because they just won't leave you alone all day. But let's leave aside the irritants and problems arising from the environment and return to the picnic itself and the question of what to take with you. We won't offer you a specific menu (we don't know exactly what you'll be craving anyway), but we'll give you useful guidelines for preparing and serving the food and drinks that will help you have a nice picnic on the beach.
Keeping all you drinks and food cold is very important; no one wants a warm drink at the beach. It is a good idea to provide a means of cooling the food. After all, no one likes half-cooked fruit from the hot sun, melted cheese, warm white wine or even worse - warm beer. So take a cooler bag with pre-charged batteries for the cold.
If you don't have cold packs, a good handy tool that will also work are pre-frozen balloons filled with water. The cool bag is definitely mobile and convenient and will easily find room for a few bottles of wine and fresh food.
Bring metal utensils. Just because you're on a picnic doesn't mean you have to give up metal utensils. On the contrary. Keep in mind that even for food that is eaten with your hands, you will need at least one cutting knife. Also think about spare utensils in case the ones you are using fall on the sand. Steer away from plastic forks and knives as they break easily, and of course we want to be a little more environmentally friendly. So metal knives and forks are perfect for the perfect picnic at the beach.
Speaking of spares, bring extra glasses. You will need them not only in case you drop your drink on the sand, but also if you want to consume additional drinks or have more people join you under your umbrella.
In order to ensure and perfect and convenient picnic at the beach, use strong cardboard plates. At the beach, you'll want to try everything. Therefore, strong disposable plates will do a good job.
Add some style to you picnic. Bring some cloth napkins. Even if you eat something from a fast food restaurant, use cloth napkins instead of paper ones on the beach. They are stronger, and the sand is shaken out of them more easily and of course you don’t have to run after them when the wind catches a few and they are all over the place.
FOOD-
Food that is easy to serve and eat is always a good idea. Despite the need for cutlery and crockery that we have listed above, we should note that the less accessories you bring with you, the more space you will have for food and drinks. If you are careful and manage to avoid the sand getting everywhere, you can enjoy any kind of food.
Make yourself a sandwich. Try something new and your beach picnic is the perfect occasion to try an exotic sandwich made with sesame bread, meat, cheese, olives, vegetables and capers. You can also experiment with other recipes of your choice. But it is always a good idea to try something new for your picnic to make it that extra bit more memorable and special.
Tip: cut your sandwich into bite-size pieces before you hit the beach.
In fact, it is good to divide all meals into portions. Especially if you have prepared something that requires it - pasta, salad, stewed vegetables, meat. If you portion out in advance at home, you'll save yourself the effort of doing it at the beach later, where it might not be as convenient.
Be careful with the cheese. Feta cheese and yellow cheese are one of the main products we use at a picnic. But be careful with them on the beach, because if you don't have a trusty cooler bag, you risk the cheese getting soft and greasy. Bet on lighter and harder cheeses.
DRINKS-
If you cannot refrain from alcoholic drinks, stick to lighter like beer or white wine. Pale ale, rosé, dry white wines and fruit beer are good choices in the heat.
Don't forget the bottle opener. It may sound simple and logical, but many beach beer gatherings are ruined when it turns out that no one has a bottle opener or a metal fork to open the bottle. If you are going to consume wine, the corkscrew is simply a must!
If you want to have a few cocktails then mix the cocktails ahead of time at home. If you want to diversify your picnic with exotic cocktails, we recommend that you mix them beforehand at home. So you will have more time to enjoy your vacation on the beach.
Now that we have food and drinks planned and out of the way, the most important thing is to get your picnic blanket in order. The best picnic blanket that will ensure you comfort on the beach is our Nordic Picnic snug. We recommend a Nordic picnic snug. We have lots of options when it comes to colours, sizing and personalisation. There is something for everyone at Nordic Snug. With a waterproof backing this is the perfect picnic blanket for you. The water-resistant backing comes in 5 different colours: Khaki, bright green (lime), Navy, bright pink (cerise) and black. Our recommendation is to choose a bright colour for one of the sides. So if you go for a black water-resistant backing, choose a bright fleece colour! If you really want to picnic in-style, then choose our fleece picnic snug from Nordic Snug. These are in a beautiful array of colours, in some of our most popular designs.