In countries with four seasons, one of the best ways to celebrate warmer weather is with a picnic. Perhaps it's the sheer trust you place in the weather not to turn on you as you set out—hopes high, picnic basket in hand—toward your favourite spot. There, you'll unpack your carefully chosen spread, bask in the summer sunlight, and do nothing more than chat and people-watch, completely present in the moment. While picnics may look as simple as tossing sandwich fixings into a wicker basket, they actually require thoughtful preparation. Think garden party, not school lunchbox. Presentation and quality ingredients set the tone for whatever kind of occasion you're celebrating—a romantic apéro, a casual summer gathering, or an impromptu outdoor feast. At their heart, picnics are meant to feel effortless and indulgent. In this guide, we've curated the best gourmet picnic snacks to elevate your spread, plus exactly where to buy them online.
Gourmet Patatas Fritas
There's something about the satisfying crunch of a perfectly fried crisp that feels essential to any picnic worth its salt. Enter Bonilla a la Vista, a Spanish institution that's been turning out exceptional patatas fritas since 1932. These aren't your average supermarket crisps—each hand-prepared slice is fried in virgin olive oil until impossibly light, then finished with just a whisper of sea salt.
If you're feeling particularly indulgent, Mr Filbert's Black Truffle crisps are where Spanish tradition meets pure decadence. These small-batch beauties carry the earthy, intoxicating aroma of black truffle in every perfectly crisp slice—the kind of snack that makes you close your eyes for a moment and forget you're sitting on a picnic blanket. They pair beautifully with an Nduja relish or whipped feta dip.
Pictured: Bonilla a la Vista patatas fritas
Pictured: Mr Filbert's Black Truffle Patatas Fritas
Gourmet Dips & Spreads
No picnic is complete without something luscious to dip into—the kind of spread that turns a simple cracker or vegetable into a moment of pure indulgence. These aren't supermarket afterthoughts; they're the sort of dips that make you slow down and savor.
Start with The Real Cure's Nduja Relish, a world-first that's as bold as it is versatile. This irresistibly sweet, smoky, and spicy condiment blends award-winning Dorset nduja with tomatoes, onions, and nigella seeds into something you've genuinely never tasted before. Slather it on crusty bread, melt it into a toastie, or let it mingle with aged cheddar on your cheese board. It's the kind of relish that demands seconds.
Then there's Odysea's trio of Greek classics—each one a little taste of the Mediterranean tucked into your picnic basket. Their Taramosalata is smooth, briny, and elegantly fishy in all the right ways. The Tzatziki is cool, garlicky, and impossibly refreshing—perfect alongside crudités or as a dip for warm pita. And the Creamy Feta Yoghurt Spread strikes that beautiful balance between tangy and rich, with just enough saltiness to keep you coming back for more.
Pictured: Odysea Tzatziki Dip
Gourmet Nuts
If crisps are the supporting act, gourmet nuts are the headliner—bold, sophisticated, and utterly impossible to stop eating once you've started. Mr Filbert's has perfected the art of transforming humble nuts into something extraordinary, and their flavoured tins are exactly what your picnic blanket deserves.
The Moroccan Style Harissa Mixed Nuts are an experience in themselves. Oven-roasted cashews, almonds, and peanuts are tumbled in a harissa blend that balances fiery chilli heat with the surprising coolness of fresh mint. It's not just heat for heat's sake—this is layered, aromatic, wonderfully complex spice that unfolds with every bite. Think vibrant markets, aromatic souks, and the kind of snack that makes you pause mid-conversation to appreciate what's happening on your palate.
For something equally captivating but more herbaceous, reach for the Mediterranean Herb Mixed Nuts. These are coated in sweet basil, oregano, and sea salt—a combination that transports you straight to sun-drenched terraces and long, lazy lunches under olive trees.
Pictured: Mr Filbert's Gourmet Nut Tins
Tinned Cocktails
There's something undeniably brilliant about cracking open a proper cocktail in the park—no shaker required, no sticky bottles to cart around, just instant summer sophistication in a can. Or as one of my colleagues likes to call them: Tin n Tonics.
For picnics with friends, MOTH's Taster Pack is the answer to the eternal question of "what should we bring?" It's exceptional value and gives everyone a chance to explore different flavours and find their new favourite. The 8-pack brings you all the classics—Margarita, Espresso Martini, Mojito, Piña Colada, Paloma, Cosmopolitan, Passionfruit Martini, and Spicy Margarita—each one made with premium craft spirits and real fruit, so they actually taste like something you'd order at a bar.
Pictured: MOTH Taster Pack
Tinned Fish
Tinned fish has had something of a renaissance lately, and for good reason—when done well, it's one of the most elegant things you can bring to a picnic. No fuss, no refrigeration required, just pure, concentrated flavour waiting to be cracked open and savoured.
Sea Sisters are leading the charge with their British conservas—thoughtfully tinned treasures from UK waters that showcase what local, sustainable fishing should look like. Their Cornish Sardine Fillets in Two Fields Extra Virgin Olive Oil are silky, delicate, and utterly delicious, while the Cornish Sardines with Chilli Oil bring a gentle warmth that lingers just long enough. For something truly distinctive, the Norfolk Whelks in Kimchi Sauce are unexpectedly brilliant—briny, tangy, and genuinely exciting. Each tin is a little love letter to British coastlines, hand-packed and beautifully designed.
Then there's Fish4Ever, pioneers in sustainably caught fish who've been doing this properly since before it was fashionable. Their Mackerel in Mustard Sauce is a revelation—meaty fillets bathed in a delicate wholegrain mustard that's far gentler than its English cousin. Responsibly fished, artisan-packed, and the kind of thing that turns a simple salad or slice of sourdough into something you'll actually remember.
Pictured: Sea sisters conservas
Charcuterie Board Meats
A proper picnic deserves proper charcuterie—not the mass-produced supermarket kind, but the sort of cured meat that's been crafted with care, aged with patience, and tastes like something worth travelling for. Enter The Real Cure, a Dorset-based charcuterie making waves (and winning awards) for their British take on continental classics.
Their Charcuterie Sharing Platter is the effortless answer to anyone who wants a spectacular board without the faff. This 200g selection brings together three award-winning cured meats: silky Hartgrove Coppa (a three-star Great Taste Award winner made from free-range pork neck, dry-cured and air-dried for three months), Wild Venison Chorizo with its sweet, smoky paprika punch, and Fennel & White Pepper Salami—aromatic, punchy, and wonderfully versatile.
Special Cheeses
Cheese and crackers are a picnic essential—the kind of simple pleasure that feels both effortless and essential. In an ideal world, you'd bring a variety spanning soft, hard, blue, and smelly cheeses. But if your picnic basket is already straining under the weight of all the other delicious things you've packed, here's the truth: Gorgonzola Al Cucchiaio encapsulates them all. Almost.
This isn't your average blue cheese. Translated literally as "Gorgonzola with a spoon," this is exactly how it's eaten in Lombardy—because it's so gloriously soft and creamy that a knife simply won't do. Selected by the Arrigoni family from a dairy just outside the city of Gorgonzola itself, it's rich, sweet, and finger-lickingly indulgent, with a characteristic winey tang that lingers just long enough to make you want another spoonful. It arrives scooped into a tub, ready for you to dive in with abandon.
Of course, if there's one other cheese you include, it must be a roundel of mature Cheddar. The Fine Cheese Co.'s version is sweet, tangy, and beautifully creamy, with occasional crystals from long maturing that add just the right amount of texture. It's the sort of cheddar that reminds you why this cheese has been a British staple for centuries—and why it pairs so perfectly with everything from chutney to charcuterie.
For the perfect accompaniment, stock up on crackers from The Fine Cheese Co—they've spent years perfecting the art of the cracker that doesn't overpower the cheese, and it shows.
Pictured: Fine Cheese Co Gorgonzola
Banderillas
If you've ever wandered through a Spanish tapas bar and spotted those colourful pickled skewers lined up behind the counter, you already know the appeal of banderillas. They're the kind of snack that disappears almost as quickly as you can spear them—tangy, crunchy, and ridiculously moreish.
Toreras makes some of the best, and they come in two varieties to suit your heat tolerance. The No Picantes (mild) version strikes that perfect balance of crisp gherkins, pearl onions, green olives, and red peppers, all marinated in a zesty brine that's bold without being overwhelming. They're the sort of thing that pairs beautifully with charcuterie, cheese, or even a well-made Bloody Mary—though you might find yourself eating them straight from the jar.
For those who like a bit more fire, the Picantes (spicy) banderillas bring the same satisfying crunch with an added kick of heat from spicy peppers. It's not punishing heat—just enough warmth to wake up your palate and keep you reaching for another.
Chocolate Truffles
Every picnic needs a moment of pure indulgence—something sweet to savour while the conversation lingers and the afternoon stretches on. Enter chocolate truffles: small, luxurious, and entirely incapable of disappointing.
The Salted Caramel Chocolate Truffles from Fine Food Specialist are the kind that make you close your eyes mid-bite. Handmade with liquid salted caramel that's smooth, creamy, and just the right side of decadent, each truffle is encased in Swiss milk chocolate and dusted with cocoa powder. It's the perfect balance of sweet and salty, rich and refined—the sort of thing that disappears from the bag faster than you'd care to admit.
For something equally indulgent but with a bit more variety, Fortnum & Mason's Milk and Dark Truffles bring that signature F&M elegance to your picnic blanket. These beautifully crafted chocolates offer the best of both worlds—silky milk chocolate and intensely rich dark chocolate truffles—each one a little moment of joy wrapped in their iconic packaging.
Exotic Fruits
It's tempting to indulge entirely in sweet and savoury snacks whilst sprawled on your picnic blanket, but incorporating fresh fruit adds balance—not just to your flavours and nutrition, but to the overall presentation. Because let's be honest, a picnic spread that looks beautiful tastes even better.
Fine Food Specialist's Exotic Fruit Box is the effortless answer. While it officially serves two for a week, for your picnic it's perfectly adequate for a party of four to six—especially when everyone's already working their way through charcuterie, cheese, and all those other delicious things you've packed.
