Picnicking - somewhat of a lifestyle now!

I wanted to talk to you about one of the most searched for topics on trendhub right now, it’s a trend manifestation that interplays with many of the prominent macro themes of the moment and that is Picnic. 

The 2021 wave of picnic dovetails with alfresco, comfort and flexi-channel and it's being taken to a new level of relevance in 2021.

Many more consumers have had a meal or drink outside, in a public space since the start of last year. Even with hospitality reopening, we expect many consumers to continually embrace alfresco dining, meaning an opportunity in and around picnic which, as we’ve seen recently, has already started to be leveraged. But, 2021 is the year that we don’t struggle to carry the food and drink together with the blankets and chairs, this is the year that we get the food delivered to where we are – the park! 

A host of restaurants and dedicated delivery services have popped up that use geolocational tech such as ‘what3words’ to pinpoint your location to the nearest couple of yards, regardless of which secluded corner of your local park you have set up your blanket. 

Delivering with scooters and bikes fitted with temperature regulated storage boxes, companies such as Supper, have managed to open up the cream of the city's restaurants to your picnic rug from ice cream and champagne to salads and sausage rolls. Other businesses including the likes of get STUFT, fill pizza boxes with the full array of picnic fare. Or, for a more elevated offer, consider Pique's handmade picnics. Hand-picked and handmade, they include cutlery, plates and napkins. Their Ultimate Brunch features products like: blueberry pancakes, ham-and-cheese croissants, frittatas, mini bagels, smoothies and more.

In addition to upmarket delis and dedicated delivery services, supermarkets have also been leveraging the picnic platter opportunity. Morrisons is offering a selection of different picnic boxes to suit any occasion or customer. Ranging from a family picnic platter to a luxury Ploughman's box. And as in evidence with many retail summer ranges for 2021, versatility of consumption occasion which includes picnic has very much been borne in mind. 

When it comes to retail, picnic offers an opportunity to ignite relevance around food to go, a category hit hard during the COVID era. 

Yes, the food-to-go market will never be quite the same again, but, as always, change means opportunity for those that adapt - so to the food itself. Picnic food elevation is in full swing in 2021 and goes far beyond the stereotypes… Mexican tacos, Italian arancini, French meats and breads, Turkish kebabs and mezze, straight-up roasted and dressed vegetables rather than limp lettuce prevail and so many twists on the scotch egg – mackerel, nduja, lentil and mushroom. 

Similarly, pastry gets elevated! The classic pork pie is still a favourite, but it has also been joined by new and novel fillings and pastries: Spring rabbit pies sit alongside gougeres made from artisan cheeses and our favourite sausage rolls have spawned a multitude of fillings from simple black pudding to Morrocan lamb. Plant-based foods in the form of artisan dairy-free cheese and charcuterie imitations are also plentiful.

So picnic eating, as well as the carefree outdoor mood that goes with it, is driving a range of brands and food service providers to develop propositions specifically designed to meet the needs of this fast-evolving branch of food culture. 

Picnicking has become somewhat of a lifestyle in and of itself and created a demand for innovative products beyond the stereotypes that can be packaged, transported, delivered and consumed in public spaces.

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