Little Cherry’s Big Day at the Beach
Little Cherry’s Big Day at the Beach
Summer is coming! In fact it’s so close we can almost taste it. Ok, so maybe it isn’t quite that close but it is pretty close and that means we need to air out our picnic blankets, dust off our flip flops and get ready for long days at the seaside!
There’s something terribly British about building sandcastles while we munch on fish and chips and 99p ice creams. A day at the beach is nostalgic and exciting in equal parts; it is something to look forward to every summer and it is the best way to make fun memories with family and friends. As such, it’s important to be fully prepared and organised in advance because that way, the only thing you need to do on the day is concentrate on having fun.
Now, as popular as cod and chips are for beach-goers of all ages, here at Little Cherry we happen to think picnics are a much better lunch option; in fact, we believe that the humble picnic can make all the difference to your day at the beach. Not only is a homemade picnic cheaper and greener than eating out from a fish and chip van or similar, it is also a lot of fun. You get to plan an exciting menu of all your favourite finger foods, then you get to make everything together as a family (whether it’s a quick salad or extra chunky chocolate chip cookies) so you are having fun long before you even leave for the beach.
So, in anticipation of summer, beach days and having picnics with your toes in the sand, we have put together a little list of the things you will need to have a classy, tasty and planet-friendly picnic by the sea! Read on to see how to do sun, sea and sand in style.
The Blanket
Comfort is big thing when you intend on spending the day sat on a lumpy, damp or hot sandy beach. This is why the ever-faithful picnic blanket is a simple but essential tool. It packs up easily, flaps out in an instant ready to be sat, sprawled and relaxed on and once you’ve had your fill of sea spray and sand storms, the blanket washes clean. Did you know you can get eco-friendly versions of the trusty picnic blanket? Well you can! Check out this one at Hen and Hammock or browse shops and the internet for green or recycled options. That way you can be comfortable and environmentally conscious in one easy move.
The Picnic Kit
When it comes to what you carry your picnic in you have all sorts of options. It really depends on what and how much you are taking and whether or not you want to go all-out, authentic picnic or use what you already have. Some of your options are:
• A quality picnic basket:
Choosing a traditional, woven picnic basket will add a sense of nostalgia to your picnic and it will provide a sturdy vessel to carry everything in. If you do opt for an old-school picnic basket then you will need to kit it out, in which case check out our strong, sturdy, chic and eco-friendly palm leaf tableware. You could even make the most of our lovely sample packs and use them for your picnic before falling in love with our tableware and ordering some for all your other special occasions!
• A Little Cherry recyclable picnic hamper set:
Our popular and convenient recyclable picnic hamper is quite literally a picnic in a box (minus the food!), with everything from a tablecloth to cutlery, cups and napkins. Even the hamper itself is completely green, being biodegradable cardboard. You can get these fantastic all-inclusive hampers for four, five or six people and you won’t have to worry about any of the washing up because you can pop the whole thing straight on the compost heap when you get home!
• An eco-friendly/recycled cool bag:
Keeping your food and drinks cool all day at the beach is both a necessity and a challenge. That is why cool bags are a fantastic tool to use in the summer. The good news is that though plastic, cool bags can actually be eco-friendly. Check out The Independent’s list of the best eco-friendly and recycled material cool bags here or take a look at our selection of small insulated lunch bags (perfect for a few drinks!)
The Food
When it comes to what food and drink you should take on your picnic, try following these tips:
• Opt for Fair Trade, locally sourced and organic foods where possible. That way you can help the planet and the farming community just by having lunch.
• Pick foods with minimal and if possible, recyclable packaging. Alternatively, transfer food you already have at home into sealable containers or check out our range of eco-friendly, biodegradable food bags and containers.
• Try filling up flasks and reusable bottles instead of buying lots of wasteful cans and cartons.
• Stick with easy-to-eat finger foods and things you can eat cold/keep cold in a cooler. Avoid easily spoiled foods like mayonnaise, especially if you don’t have a way to keep it cold enough.
So there you have a few of our favourite ideas for planet-friendly picnics on the beach. Do you have any ideas you can add to Little Cherry’s Big Day at the Beach? Please share!