The best luxury picnic hampers to enjoy in London this summer
With the height of summer upon us, is there a better way to make the most of the city than with a picnic in your favourite leafy park? Forget wilted salads and crumbling scotch eggs – make sure you snack in style with our round-up of delightful al fresco feasts, whether delivered directly to your nearest green space or collected en route.
For traditional British fare, look no further than Daylesford and Fortnum & Mason, both of which offer a selection of indulgent hampers laden with savoury tarts, great hunks of cheese, and scones with lashings of cream. Add some panache to an outdoor supper with Dukes’ show-stopping spread or, if you’d rather keep it simple, La Fromagerie does it best with its newly launched artisan cheese boxes.
Fortnum & Mason
When only caviar, lobster and hand-sliced smoked salmon will do, we know who to turn to. The London stalwart understands what picnicking is all about: wicker hampers stuffed with gourmet treats, which can be collected directly from its Piccadilly store or delivered to a specific address. Indulge in mini beef wellingtons, pea and mint Scotch eggs and a decadent chocolate mousse, courtesy of the Champagne Celebration Picnic, or imperial caviar, organic smoked salmon and four bottles of champagne if you opt for the Ultimate Picnic Banquet. Alternatively – if impossible decisions are your thing – head to the Fortnum & Mason food hall to peruse the bountiful cheese counter, pantry and deli, and rustle up your own bespoke spread. With cave-aged cheddar, venison rillettes, and potted stilton on offer, you’ll be the envy of all other picnickers. If your haul makes it to the park.
Picnic hampers, from £100 for two people. Order by 2pm for collection the next day from the Piccadilly store, or by 3pm for 48-hour delivery elsewhere.
La Fromagerie
Those in the know have been coming to La Fromagerie’s three London locations for years. Selling artisan cheese, charcuterie and seasonal fresh produce (as well as offering a daily menu on-site, private fondue suppers, and an online shop), the brand has been churning out epicurean delights since 1991. The purveyor of gourmet goods has just launched it first range of Cheese Picnic Boxes, featuring a choice of French, English or Italian cheeses. Each box includes a selection of three, a box of moreish sablés comtés and a pot of green olives. Sustainability is high on La Fromagerie’s agenda, so expect the essentials only – but when the cheese is this good, what more could you need?
La Fromagerie Picnic Box, from £34.50 for two people. Order by 12pm for next day delivery, or collect from the Highbury, Marylebone or Bloomsbury deli.
Sette London
For Long Island-style suppers in Hyde Park, opt for Sette’s latest Hamptons-themed picnic, the Signature Hamper. It comes with fresh lobster rolls, Cobb salad, a selection of cured meats and cheeses, crusty loaves of Tuscan bread and exquisite strawberry lime tarts – as well biodegradable plates, cutlery, napkins and a cotton rug. When a bottle of Ruinart can be added for £75, why would you not? Hampers can be collected from the hotel, a short stroll from Hyde Park – perfect for a romantic rendez-vous.
Signature Hamper, from £145 for two people, available for collection from Sette London. Order 24 hours in advance.
N5 Kitchen
Mere metres from Finsbury Park, N5 Kitchen is a must for sophisticated summer lunches. Run by an all-female team, the caterer can rustle up a top-notch take-away selection of the finest deli goods in minutes. The daily-changing breakfast and lunch menu features treats such as lemongrass chicken, seared tuna with blue corn tostadas and asparagus tarts with puy lentils – all braised or baked to perfection. Be sure to add a delectable miso, sesame and white chocolate cookie or apricot galette to your selection. With a glittering list of clientele that includes Florence Pugh and Nigella Lawson, you know you’re in good hands.
Lunch menu, from £24 for two people, served until 3pm.
Daylesford
Bring the Cotswolds to London and opt for the organic farm shop’s picnic hamper, which is filled to the brim with wedges of Gloucestershire cheddar, homemade Scottish shortbreads and rich organic fruit bread to coat with jam or chutney. Round it off with a bottle of apricot nectar and you have the recipe for the perfect summer afternoon. Choose between the signature white-wicker hamper, or the newly launched version with wheels, whose XL sibling transforms rather wonderfully into a table.
The Picnic Hamper, from £100 for two people. Order for collection from the Daylesford farm shops by 12pm for next day delivery.
Vori
The west-London-based Greek taverna Vori has created its very own street-food-inspired picnic basket. Best enjoyed on balmy evenings in the neighbouring Holland Park, it is perfectly portioned for two people, featuring a range of delicious homemade treats including creamy tzatziki, fava, melitzanosalata and fresh pita, as well as a moreish spinach and feta pie, and – of course – a crisp horiatiki Greek salad. Kali Orexi!
Vori’s picnic baskets, £89 for two people. Available for collection until 23 August.
Valentina Deli
One of Stanley Tucci’s favourite haunts, this family-run deli has outposts in Richmond and Weybridge and also delivers its gourmet Mediterranean goods to Richmond Park and the picturesque grounds of Chiswick House. Each wicker hamper includes handpicked Valentina favourites, from Nocellara olives and Italian charcuterie meats to Torres crisps and Sicilian cannoli – simply add your choice of cheese, bread and fresh fruit. The superstar deli team will add plates and cutlery if needed. If you can’t make it to Italy this summer, this is the next best thing.
Valentina Picnic Hamper, from £69.95 for two people. Order by 11am for next-day delivery.
Panzer's
The North-London favourite provides its most popular treats in picnic form, to be delivered to Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill, Hampstead Heath and Hyde Park. Each Panzer’s hessian tote-bag is loaded with spinach and potato rolls, polished challah loaves, tangy Mediterranean hummus and fresh fruit salad, plus a bottle of red or white wine to wash it all down. Go deluxe with the addition of a charcuterie plate or hand-sliced smoked salmon.
Panzer’s Classic Picnic, from £69 for two people. Order by 3pm for next-day delivery.
Dukes London
Dukes’ traditional picnic – a gloriously British spread that includes hearty gammon pie, blue cheese quiche, smoked trout pâté and light potato salads – will be delivered directly to St James’s Park or Green Park. All you have to do is turn up and the Mayfair hotel’s butlers will pour your drinks, lay out your picnic rug, and clear it all away when you’re ready to call it a day.
Dukes Classic Picnic, from £79 for two people (bookings must be made 72 hours in advance).
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