Overview
We see you, sweet human, hunched over your glowing screen, brow slightly furrowed. It's a warm day, isn't it? Probably lovely weather outside, too. And yet, lunch is fast approaching, and your fingers are already mentally tapping their way to another desk-delivered meal. Sigh, if only you could mobilise your troops and enjoy that lunch... outside? "No time," you insist. "Too hard," you scoff. "No Tupperware," you sulk. Well pack up that petulant pout, and get your picnic pants primed — we're going shopping.
CHEESE, WOODBLOCK CHEESE
Everyone (well, almost everyone) will tell you that cheese is the hero dish of any decent picnic. Don't listen to naysayers that insist a single wedge of cheap, supermarket cheese will suffice — it's just not true. Multiple cheese options must be available at any self-respecting picnic, and we have earmarked Woodblock Cheese (in Bardon) as our number one fromagerie. Got a low-key love of pungent cheese, but too scared to release the stink into your cramped office? Go wild, baby! The outdoors is nothing if not incredibly well-ventilated.
BAKED GOODS, JOCELYN'S PROVISIONS
Ughhhh we know… You were having a cute little fantasy where you effortlessly whipped up a jaunty picnic spread, weren't you? Something small, and chic, and vaguely French. Lots of artfully scattered produce. And then you snapped to your senses and realised that you didn't have any supplies. Total buzzkill, really. Well chin up, buttercup — Jocelyn's Provisions has you covered. These guys have been churning out butter cakes, brioche and brownies for more than twenty years.
MEATS, CHEESES AND MORE, NEW FARM DELI
Italian food has "picnic" stamped all over it. Delicious? Check. Transportable? Check. Cutlery-optional? Double check. So if you want to bang out a perfect picnic platter when you're stuck in a time crunch, New Farm Deli is a pretty solid bet. This Italian-style deli has a veritable smorgasbord of European treats to give your picnic some proper punch. Think endless varieties of cheese, meats, smallgoods, gourmet dressings, etc. Most importantly, they have a mind-boggling range of those famous Milanese panettone cakes that all your Italian friends rave about. Traditionally they are enjoyed around the festive season, but don't be scared to serve this sweet treat all year round.
HEALTHY BITES, MISS BLISS WHOLE FOODS KITCHEN
You're daydreaming about your picnic — all gooey cheese and luscious wines — when you remember that one of your potential picnic pals is currently going through a #CleanEating stage. You need to come up with some healthy options stat. Don't worry — Miss Bliss has you covered. It'll have you sorted with a bundle of sugar-free, additive-free lunch treats, faster than you can say "green juice". And it's much easier than having to unfriend Ashley, too.
ALL-IN-ONE, POPOLO ITALIAN KITCHEN & BAR
This one's for you, procrastinators of Brisbane. We see you. We know your ways. You've invited someone for a picnic at Southbank, haven't you? A lovely little romantic rendezvous right on the water. And that tidy lawn at River Quay Green? It's licensed until 8pm. But you haven't got any time to procure those picnic provisions, do you? You're in a bit of a (dare we say)… pickle? Fear not, Oh Panicked One. The team at Popolo will sort you out. Give them a bit of lead time, and they'll provide the entire picnic package: cured meats, cheese, bread, pizza, booze, baskets and blankets.
EASY LUNCH, BOTANICA REAL FOOD
Sometimes you just need to get away from your desk. Away from your laptop. Away from four walls and a roof and the constant whirring of the pedestal fan. Sometimes you just want to eat your lunch sitting outside on a park bench with your headphones on and not have to worry that your picnic isn't Pinterest-worthy. Because realistically, everything is totally negotiable, except for one key thing: the food must be good. You can eat it with a plastic fork, but it has to be freakin' delicious. We totally get it. So do the guys at Botanica Real Food. Their food is healthy and nourishing, and may be more tasty than that three-ingredient salad you packed for lunch.