We’re making the most of the heatwave, by heading outside and dining al fresco, whether it’s a picnic at the beach or a BBQ in the garden.
We spoke to Harvey Nichols for their recommendations for packing the perfect picnic.
SNACKS
- Harvey Nichols Cheesy Selection 120g £3.95
Our decadently cheesy Naughty Nibbles range was created exclusively for us by Van Strien, a family business from the Netherlands that have been baking for six generations. We fell in love with them because they make everything by hand, not with machines, and they use creamy butter from grass-fed cows, the finest local cheese, and no artificial additives. They taste like they’ve been home baked with love, but without the mess and hassle, leaving you more time to enjoy them with a cold beer, glass of wine, gin and tonic or refreshing elderflower cordial.
- Torres Black Truffle Crisps 125g £3.95
The handcrafted process used by Torres to create these Black Truffle Crisps results in the highest quality product. The best ingredients are selected directly from the fields to be processed with the expertise of generations, ensuring that the final product will always have a unique and exceptional flavour. Discover the unique flavour of these special premium potato crisps with authentic black summer truffles and be captivated by the intense aroma with sweet and fruity notes that will convert this snack into a real treat for the senses.
- Perello Manzanilla Pitted Olives Picante 150g £2.95
Manzanilla are the most popular olives in Spain, served as table olives throughout Andalucía and beyond. However, in the hands of Perelló, there are raised to a whole new gourmet level. Traditionally grown in Sevilla, these plump and firm green olives have a meaty texture and a delicate bittersweet taste. Like Perelló’s Gordal olives, this new addition to the range is sure to garner the same cult following because of the guindilla chilli in the brine, which imparts a nice tangy kick. Perfect to accompany tapas or as part of your picnic, especially with a gin and tonic or a Martini.
DRINKS
- Badenhorst The Curator White Blend 2020 Can 250ml £4.50
Wanting fine wine quality from a genius winemaker, but in a smaller and more eco-friendly format? Now you CAN!
The Curator is a celebration of the mavericks who tend diverse and widespread vineyards, bringing them all together in perfect peace and harmony to create immensely drinkable wines. The White Blend 2020 is a silky-smooth wine crafted from Coastal Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Semillon and Colombard by the legendary Adi Badenhorst. The combination of peaches, pears, limes, honeysuckle and sea breezes has summer sipping written all over it.
- Forest Distillery Hibiscus Lemonade Gin & Soda Can 330ml £4
Already taking the United States by storm, Hard Seltzers are now taking off in a big way on this side of the pond. So, we’re super happy to see the Forest Distillery – a big Harvey Nichols favourite – entering the fray.
Hibiscus Lemonade Gin & Soda is a fresh and zingy seltzer crafted using a 39ml measure of the Forest Distillery’s fabulous London Dry style gin and a lightly carbonated lemonade made with whole fruit and infused with hibiscus flowers, which gives it the natural pink hue. Low in calories (just 84 kcal per can), big in flavour and gorgeously summery; this is perfect for picnics or for when you just fancy a cocktail without the hassle of mixing one or opening lots of bottles.
- Wild Life Botanicals Alcohol-Free Sparkling Wine Blush Mini 200ml £6
Ultra-low in alcohol and high in natural goodness, this sparkling wine has been infused with uplifting vitamins, minerals and organic botanicals. Chosen by a naturopath and a medical herbalist, this plant-powered and mood-boosting infusion includes calming lemon balm, anti-inflammatory damask rose, balancing ashwagandha, antioxidant-rich rosemary and stimulating damiana. There’s also zinc and Vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6, B7, B12 and C, all of which are vital for your immune system, energy levels and metabolism. As well as being vegan friendly, it also contains fewer calories than most Prosecco and Champagne because it’s just 0.5% ABV, which is classed as alcohol-free by EU law.
HAMPERS
- Harvey Nichols Luxury Picnic For Two Gift Box £65
Open the Harvey Nichols gift box to discover a chic Black Canvas Tote Bag, filled with useful pockets and compartments for squirrelling treats into. Pack into this capacious and ethical bag two mini bottles of Premier Cru Champagne, our bestselling and wonderfully lavish Torres Black Truffle Crisps, buttery Emmental & Onion Straws made with Protected Designation of Origin cheese, plump green olives, smoky nibbles and Rhubarb & Custard Fudge, then head off into the great outdoors. Hopefully the only bears you’ll run into will be the fizzy bear jelly sweets that we popped in for pudding.
Good clean fun, but with a cheeky splash of Champagne. We like to think of the Luxury Picnic For Two Gift Box as Harvey Nichols decadence meets Enid Blyton adventure. Just add sandwiches and off you go.
- Harvey Nichols Family Picnic Gift Box £60
Although it sounds romantic, nobody wants to lug a huge wicker picnic hamper out to the park or into a forest when you already have the kids in tow. That’s why we put together the Family Picnic…
Our family-friendly gift box contains a stylish Harvey Nichols Black Canvas Tote Bag to pop your picnic in. This robust, capacious and ethical bag is filled with handy pockets to tuck treats into, plus a neat little wine bottle holder for your summery alcohol-free rosé fizz, which was created by the highly respected Prosecco and Moscato d’Asti producer, Bottega SpA. There’s orange juice for the little ones (or an abstemious take on a Buck’s Fizz maybe) and lots of sweet treats to keep them fuelled up for the great outdoors. And while they’re running around, you can tuck into luxurious Gouda Cheese Palmiers and decadent triple chocolate biscuits.
Just add sandwiches and a picnic blanket, then let the family fun begin.
- Harvey Nichols Cocktail Party Hat Box £50
This is a party waiting to happen…
Squeezed into this perfectly formed Harvey Nichols hat box are four fuss-free, bar-quality, single-serving classic cocktails, plus a selection of matching snacks to enjoy alongside them. The buttery shortbread brings out the orange notes in the woody Old Fashioned, but also pair beautifully with a frothy Espresso Martini at the end of the night. The rich Gouda Palmiers and Emmental Straws in our Cheesy Selection make for a stunning aperitivo with a tangy Negroni. And finally, the perfect way to cut though the salt and spice of our Mexican Snack Mix is with a 007-inspired Vesper Martini, especially if you slip on that opening scene of the James Bond film Spectre. But there’s no time for movies, it’s time to get this party started.
Reusable
Sustainability is the word on everyone’s lips and our eco-friendly edit makes it all the easier to do your part for the planet.
- Chilly’s Neon Pink Reusable Bottle 500ml £20
The hot way to stay hydrated while saying no to single-use plastic, now comes in an eye-catching rainbow of new neon colours.
Chilly’s mission is to accelerate the adoption of reusable bottles by engineering stylish, highly functional and sustainable products designed to complement your urban lifestyle. This 500ml Neon Pink Reusable Bottle’s double wall vacuum technology keeps water and other drinks cold for 24 hours or warm for 12 hours, without condensation or sweating. Made from high-grade stainless steel, it’s airtight, leak-proof and BPA-free, so you can fill it up, throw it in your bag and take it to work, the gym, the beach, the wilderness or the streets.
- Harvey Nichols PosHNosh Foodmarket Bag £12.95
This fair trade, reusable and super sustainable shopping bag is robust, reinforced and roomy enough for all your Harvey Nichols posh nosh, not to mention a bottle of Champagne, a pair of new shoes or a change of outfit. With its long, strong and comfortable handles, the world is your oyster, fill it how you will. We won’t even be mad if you take to other shops if that helps you recreate that Harvey Nichols shopping experience.
The PosHNosh Foodmarket Bag is made exclusively for Harvey Nichols by re-wrap, a co-operative in India that create “seed-to-shop” organic cotton. re-wrap – who also make our Black Canvas Tote Bags – is a not-for-profit enterprise that works with skilled but marginalised communities in India. When we first started working with them their focus was on women, giving them an opportunity to earn a living and build a future through fair trade practices, training and a happy working environment, all the while helping to save the planet. Now the dads and lads are getting involved in farming the cotton. So re-wrap now sows their own cotton seeds, pick it, gin it, spin it, weave it, print it and create beautiful 100% traceable organic products with it. The quality and sustainability of re-wrap’s textiles are second to none.
- Harvey Nichols Keep It Clean Apron £12.95
Sometimes life gets messy…that’s why Harvey Nichols created the Keep It Clean Apron.
Unisex, fair trade, sustainably sourced, hard wearing and made from organic cotton canvas; it’s the ethical little black dress or tuxedo for the kitchen or BBQ. Washable at 30°C, our exclusive apron has an adjustable buckle for comfort, an elegant cut, a little extra length for full coverage, and a capacious pocket for your spatula, wooden spoon, oven cloth or mobile phone (as we know you’re snapping for Instagram as you go). And with that slogan, it would make the perfect gift for anyone prone to a little swear in the kitchen, just as a reminder to “keep it clean”.
Re-cycle, re-claim, re-invent. That’s the motto of re-wrap, the not-for-profit enterprise who created this apron in collaboration with Harvey Nichols.
AND TO FINISH
- This Works Stress Check Clean Hands 60ml £4
Post-picnic you’ll need to sanitise and we’ve got the perfect solution with Stress Check Clean Hands from This Works, a moisturising, anti-bacterial, hand gel that boasts 70% purifying alcohol, hydrating hyaluronic acid, and a super blend of lavender, camomile and neroli to keep hands clean, protected and moisturised without the need for washing. The perfect size for your handbag and an ideal travel-companion, for use whenever your hands need some extra cleanliness, protection and hydration.
All items available in store or via Click and Collect at Harvey Nichols, Birmingham located in the Mailbox.
