Those who value elegance and style at home also have many opportunities to do so with charm, nobility, and “good style” when dining outdoors. Let’s make it an extraordinary event. Let’s turn eating outside into feasting outside.
We humans have always enjoyed eating outdoors.
But who specifically invented the modern picnic remains an open question. The French and English both claim credit for it. The term pique-nique was added to the Dictionnaire de la langue française at the end of the 17th century. As is so often the case, picnics then became a mass movement in Great Britain.
In the Victorian era, Queen Victoria often dined outdoors. This period also saw the “invention” of the picnic basket, which contained food as well as a blanket, crockery, and cutlery.
Das Picknick kann in Großbritannien bis heute den Rang eines gesellschaftlichen Ereignisses haben. Beim Pferderennen in Ascot oder beim Tennisturnier in Wimbledon – nur so als Beispiel. Beim Cricket ist übrigens in den Regeln eine 20-minütige Teepause festgelegt, in der ein Imbiss im Freien eingenommen wird.
This new movement even found its way into painting. Eduard Manet painted “Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe” in 1863, and his kindred spirit Claude Monet put the same idea on canvas in 1865. Germans were also quick to join the movement in art—Carl Spitzweg immortalized “Das Picknick” in 1864.
The cutlery should be made of metal, but it really doesn’t have to be delicate silverware.
Plastic cutlery is definitely not an option.
The fine bone china plates also remain in the cupboard, but there is such beautiful tableware, both rustic and elegant, perfectly suited to the occasion.
How about a small printed menu, for example? It doesn’t detract from the informality of the occasion, but it is a clear sign of style.
Many picnic recipes are for finger food. And that’s important, because when we go on a picnic, we don’t have chairs and tables to sit comfortably at with a knife and fork. So it’s nice when the food is bite-sized and can be eaten without making too much of a mess on the picnic blanket. Nowadays, people often barbecue for picnics. Well, that’s a matter of taste. Classic choices tend to be grilled cold chicken legs and, of course, roast beef. Sandwiches in every shape and form.
One trend we may or may not follow is vegetarian or vegan food.
And regardless of whether the table is in the garden or on the terrace, or whether it’s a picnic on the lawn, one thing is essential: a tablecloth. There’s no question about it. And if you really want to be stylish, choose a linen tablecloth. Nothing captures the feeling of being close to nature as well as pure linen. Linen loves being outdoors and being used. No other material becomes more beautiful the more it is used than linen.
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