Where to Buy the Best Supplies in Sydney for a Perfect Picnic

Picnic season is finally upon us. Come the weekend, the eskies are pulled out, the dogs are let off the leash and picnic rugs are laid out early as the best spots are snatched up across the city. But if you want to impress your friends (and all of Instagram), you'll need more than a wheel of brie and some seed crackers.

Luckily, Sydney's top suppliers and producers make it pretty easy for you to put on an elaborate picnic spread that includes everything from the must-haves (stinky cheese, fruit and fresh bread) to important add-ons (pickles, pastries and pet-nat). So, heres our round up of the tastiest snacks in Sydney that will guarantee looks of envy from your fellow picnickers.

Kimberley Low

CHEESE FROM PENNY'S CHEESE SHOP, POTTS POINT

Cheese is the oozy, creamy glue that holds a picnic together. And whatever your cheesy preferences, Penny's Cheese Shop in Potts Point is sure to have what you need, from local cheeses to hard-to-find favourite international varieties. Most of them are cut to order so you can get as much (or as little) as your picnic team requires.

Penny herself, a self-professed 'curd nerd', will help you pick the best selection of cheeses for your picnic, matching the weather and your wine. While you're there, you may as well grab one of her toasties — they're golden and crisp with fillings featuring jalapeño, kimchi and smoked wagyu.

Alternatives? Fomaggi Ocello, Surry Hills; The Artisan Cheese Room, Manly; Field Blend, Balmain.

Harriet Davidson

BAGUETTES FROM IGGY'S BREAD, BRONTE

The foundation of any great picnic starts with the simple combo of flour and water — and no one else in Sydney does this better than Iggy's. There's always a line, but it's most definitely worth waking up early on your day off nab a loaf. The crisp crust and sticky sourdough centre is the perfect device for transporting oozy slabs of the aforementioned cheese or mopping up any saucy remains on your plate.

For a big crowd you can't go past the super long baguettes. If you're feeling a little extra, pop into the neighbouring croissant store and pick up a mixed selection of chocolate, plain and feta croissants coming out of the oven.

Alternatives? Bourke Street Bakery, various locations; Infinity Bakery, Paddington, Manly, Darlinghurst; Wholegreen Bakery, Waverley (for gluten-free bread).

Harriet Davidson

FRESH FRUIT FROM KINGS CROSS ORGANIC MARKET, POTTS POINT

A picnic isn't complete without a splash of seasonal produce — fresh cherry tomatoes and ripe strawberries won't just look good, but they'll add freshness to your spread, too. The Saturday morning Kings Cross Organic Markets are consistently impressive, with producers coming from Sydneys outer edges and the Blue Mountains. As you never know what will be there week to week, you're better going with no plan and making your snack decisions based on what's available. For a picnic spread we'd go for some easy dippers like tomatoes and carrots, and for something sweet grab yourself a bag of strawberries, lychees or a citrus mix. In addition to the mega selection of fresh produce, organic honey, fresh flowers and loads of nuts and seeds are for sale, too.

Alternatives? Carriageworks Farmers Market, Darlington (Saturdays); Ramsgate Foodies and Farmers Market, Ramsgate (Saturdays); Parramatta Farmers Market, Parramatta (Fridays).

Kitti Gould

CHARCUTERIE FROM CONTINENTAL DELI, NEWTOWN

Any picnic worth its weight in truffle-infused salt requires an array of cold cuts spread out on a roughly hewn wooden board. Continental Deli in Nwetown is a one-stop shop for all your cured meat and tinned seafood needs. The curated selection of local and internationally sourced cold cuts are some of the best you'll find in the city — and don't forget to peruse the long list of canned fish, including nardin smoked anchovies and the cambados octopus while you're at it. We'd recommend getting yourself some sliced jamón ibérico, wagyu bresaola and definitely some mortadella — add some cheese and bread to create possibly one of the best picnic sandwiches you've ever had.

Alternatives? Victor Churchill, Woollahra; Pino's Dolce Vita, Kogarah; Fomaggi Ocello, Surry Hills.

NATURAL WINE FROM DRNKS, WATERLOO

If you're a lover of natural wine — or you're just curious about the stuff — then go checkout Drnks for all your sunny day picnic juice. The online purveyor of natural wines opened its first brick and mortar store within the George Hotel in Waterloo earlier this year. It's one of Sydneys go-to destinations for all your funky beverage needs including a healthy range of wine, beer and cider. You won't find much of this stock in in your conventional bottle-o — so this isn't the place to get your $12 bottle of chardonnay. Most bottles sit between $25–40, though, so get your mates to chip in and you'll be cracking them open in the sun in no time.

Alternatives? P&V Wine & Liquor, Newtown; Winona Wine, Manly; The Oak Barrel, Surry Hills.

Kitti Gould

PASTRIES AND CAKES FROM CHERRY MOON, ANNANDALE

Cherry Moon is the inner wests new woodfired bakery, cafe and general store which will very easily whisk you away to a sweet sugar-coated heaven. The bakery selection is much more elaborate and refined than your regular bake sale, with you favourite classics tweaked with native Australian ingredients such as wattleseed and finger lime. From the crisp outer shell of their lemon myrtle buerre noisette croissant scrolls to the creamy filling of their signature wood fired Portuguese tarts this is the place to satisfy those sugary cravings. Go in the morning to get your pick of the full range — your your biggest problem will be deciding what to not get.

Alternatives? Rollers Bakehouse, Manly; Flour and Stone, Wooloomooloo; Nutie, Surry Hills (for gluten-free cakes).

CONDIMENTS AND PICKLES FROM CONDIMENTAL

If you're one to dip, slather and pour — meet Condimental, which bundles a heap of pickles, preserves, sauces, seasonings and relishes into a box and brings it to your door. On the menu is a changing range of limited-release and seasonal items from Australian suppliers, aka the types of condiments that you won't find in any old supermarket. With a spread of fermented spicy sauce on some fresh bread, or topping a cheesy cracker with some tangy pickles this box of treats will forever be the solution to boring snacks. Seasonal boxes can be ordered on their website and delivered straight to your door — a minimal effort item thats guaranteed to bring maximum tastiness.

Alternatives? Go straight to the source to get watermelon pickles from Fleetwood Macchiato, Erskineville; or Westmont Pickles from Carriageworks Farmers Markets on Saturdays.

Trent van der Jagt

FALAFEL AND DIP FROM THE SULTAN'S TABLE, ENMORE

The individual who rocks up to a picnic sporting a giant takeaway container of fresh dips, falafels and a slab of still-warm Turkish bread is a goddamn hero. At Sultan's Table, the dip selection situation operates in a choose-your-own-adventure fashion where you can pick up to four dips depending on the girth of your container. Flavours include parsley, jajik (garlic yogurt), carrot, chilli, beetroot, spinach, hummus and smoky baba ganoush.

Alternatives? Cairo Takeaway, Enmore; Simply Hummus Bar, Darlinghurst; Erciyes, Surry Hills.