Summer is upon us and that means one thing – eating and drinking outside!
Whether you’re grilling on a proper barbecue in your own garden or you’ve got to make do with a disposable number balanced on your balcony, you don’t have to settle for a pack of supermarket burgers and some plastic cheese. If you’re going down the picnic route, forget the tinnies and a packet of cocktail sausages because it’s way easier than you think to pull together a feast that would put Nigella to shame. Do al fresco dining right by stocking up on all these BBQ and picnic essentials, including all the bottles you’ll wanna be popping outside too…
The Cinnamon Club’s BBQ Meal Kit
Spice up your BBQ with a little help from The Cinnamon Cub. This BBQ box is filled with some of Vivek Singh’s fave dishes, including tandoori Scottish salmon skewers with dill & mustard, lamb seekh kebabs, marinated shrimp skewers, sandalwood chicken breast, and long aubergine with sesame peanut crumble. There’s sides of lentils, potatoes, rice and naan in there too, plus a sticky ginger toffee pudding for dessert.
Arabica’s Lamb Shawarma Kit
Feed a crowd with ease this summer with this lamb shawarma kit from Arabica. You just need to crisp up the slow-cooked lamb shoulder and then put out the khobez flatbreads, tahini sauce, pickled cucumbers, chilli sauce, and onion, parsley & sumac salad for people to make up their own wraps.
BOXTAPAS!’s Seafood Tapas Box
If you love a picky bits dinner when the weather warms up, then these BOXTAPAS! boxes will defo hit the spot. Each one is filled with carefully sourced items from small and heritage Spanish producers, like the manzanilla olives, piquillo pepper spread, mussels in Spanish sauce, octopus marinière, and mackerel in olive oil in this seafood one.
Graham’s Blend Nº5
Graham’s Blend Nº5 is a summer delight made for those who enjoy a crisp, refreshing drink in the sunshine. This vibrant white port is light, zesty and designed for mixing – try it with tonic water, a slice of lemon, and a ribbon of cucumber for the ultimate summer cooler.
Pasqua’s Hey French, You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t
Hey French, You Could Have Made This But You Didn’t is as bold in the glass as it is on the label. This playful white blend from Pasqua is ideal for wine lovers who appreciate quality without the pretension. Rich and characterful yet light and refreshing enough for summer sipping, it strikes the perfect balance between fun and finesse.
The Umbrella Project’s Picnic Basket
Up your picnic game with this Picnic Basket from The Umbrella Project. As well as cheese, crackers and other nibbles, it’s packed with Umbrella Project cider, cocktails, wine and prosecco, and it comes with plates, cutlery and glasses so you can really eat in style – no soggy paper jobs here.
Nojo’s Sauces
Looking for an easy way to boost the flavours of your BBQ? Get your hands on some Nojo sauces. There are six types in the range – white miso, teriyaki, yuzu ponzu, tahini, sesame and orange poke – and you can use them as marinades, salad dressings, dipping sauces and more, basically whatever you can think up, you can do. And best of all, the whole collection is vegan and free from refined sugar, additives and artificial flavours.
Black Lines’ Aperitivo Spritz
There’s nothing like a cool spritz on a warm spring day – and it’s even better when you can just pop open a bottle rather than having to faff around with mixing. That’s exactly what you get with the Black Lines Aperitivo Spritz, made with Gamondi Aperitivo rather than Aperol for a more orange-forward flavour.
6PERCENT
Love a glass of white but not the next-day regret? Try a guilt-free pour with this 6% Sauvignon Blanc. Light, refreshing and moreish, it’s the perfect mid-strength option for those long summer days when you want to sip without overdoing it. Crisp, zesty, and just the right touch of sweetness – it’s made for sunny BBQs and effortless enjoyment.
Alphonso Mangoes
Don’t bother making desserts if you’ve got people coming over for a BBQ or you’re heading out for a picnic – all you need is a box of these Alphonso mangoes and a knife. The mangoes, which are bang in season right now, are known for being one of the best varieties of the fruit thanks to their sweet, smooth, fibre-less flesh.
Fever-Tree Blood Orange Spritz
Fever-Tree has teamed up with Papa Salt Coastal Gin, the Aussie brand co-founded by Margot Robbie, for a canned spritz you’ll be drinking on repeat this summer. The Sicilian blood orange soda makes it fresh and bright, and each can is only 107 cals too. Load up on these for your next park picnic.
Dishoom’s Summer Barbecue Box
Recreate a Dishoom feast at home (and with ease) with this summer BBQ box. There are ready-marinated meats inside, including lamb chops, murgh malai and chicken tikka, which you just need to throw on the grill, plus kebab masala spice mix so you can add that Dishoom flavour to whatever else you’re serving up.
Kicking Goat Cider
It’s just not summer without cider and this craft cider from Kicking Goat is the one you want to pop. Made with 100% fresh pressed British apples from orchards in Somerset and Kent, it comes in dry, medium and medium dry finishes.
Limongino
For a proper summer sip grab a bottle from English Spirit. They make everything from scratch and in small batches – we’re talking vodka, gin, rum, absinthe, even bourbon and triple-distilled whisky – and the craft shows. If you’re into citrus, their Limongino (a nod to the Italian classic) is the zesty, refreshing partner to a tall glass of tonic and ice you need on a warm summer day.
englishspirit.uk
Hepple Gin
When it comes to summer cocktails, gin is hard to beat. Whether you’re mixing up martinis, elderflower collins, or a classic G&T, the right bottle makes all the difference and Hepple is just the one to reach for at your next picnic or BBQ. Packed with bold botanicals, a hit of juniper and fresh, earthy notes from Douglas fir, it’s a bright and distinctive gin made for easy summer sipping.
hepplespirits.com
Provenance x Tito’s Big BBQ Box
Give your BBQs an American twist with this collab box from Provenance butchers and US vodka Tito’s. It includes steaks, burgers, smokey maple racks of ribs, Texas links, and Tennessee-marinated wings, so you can grill up a meat feast, plus a bottle of Tito’s for you to shake up into cocktails or use in a vodka BBQ sauce.
MOMO Watermelon Kombucha
If you didn’t already know, we’re HUGE fans of the MOMO team (check out our episode of LDNERs for a behind-the-scenes look at their kombucha-making magic). So it’s no surprise we were buzzing about the release of their Watermelon flavour – a punchy, non-alcoholic refresher that’s basically made for summer picnics. If you’ve never tried MOMO before you’re in for a treat. It’s traditionally brewed in small glass jars, so you know it’s the real deal; raw, unfiltered and packed with flavour!
