• August 4, 2020

Sustainable tips and the best spots for socially-distanced picnics this summer

Sustainable tips and the best spots for socially-distanced picnics this summer

Sustainable tips and the best spots for socially-distanced picnics this summer 1024 684 micebook.

After months of virtual meet ups, micebook is inviting #eventprofs to join us for a physically distanced but socially connected meet up with industry friends.

Join us for a picnic at Cassiobury Park in Watford from 1:00pm onwards on 19th August. Sign up here, bring a picnic mat, some food and drink!

Top tips for sustainable picnics

If joining our picnic or having your own, here’s nine tips from our friends at Legacy Events to help protect the environment:

• Avoid unnecessary single use plastics – bring your own plates and cutlery.
• Transport your gourmet delights securely by ditching the cling film and opting for reusable containers.
• Using reusable, insulated stainless-steel bottles will keep your water cool and your coffee hot.
• Plant based options are healthier and more sustainable. Try and avoid red meat and dairy which have the highest environmental impact
• Ask your guests to bring their own cups – better for the environment and COVID-safer too.
• Though sharing leftover food with nearby animals might seem tempting, leaving items like banana skins, orange peels and nut shells isn’t an environmentally friendly action. It does not biodegrade as quickly as you think and may not be a safe food source for wildlife.
• Leave the area better than you found it. Clean up after yourself, take away litter.
• Use reusable cloths and tea towels to clean up any spills, or recycled paper towels if that is not possible. Do not use wipes.
• Try and use sanitisers, insect repellents and sunscreens that contain natural products.

Best places to meet

If you’re planning your own team picnic, or an al fresco gathering for your clients, here’s a few suggestions on where to meet…

In the capital, you can’t beat London’s Royal Parks for picnics. Why not grab a couple of Fortnum & Mason’s recently launched hampers, designed for six people, and head to one of the nearby parks, such as Green Park, St James Park or Hyde Park to enjoy luxury treats and fizz.

Many of London’s luxury hotels also offer picnic hampers, including Mandarin Oriental, The Wellesley, The Stafford, and The Milestone Hotel, to name a few, so you can feast on sumptuous treats.

Outside the capital, there are plenty of country house hotels in the Home Counties that offer both oodles of space and stunning surrounds for safe and stylish picnics.

Pennyhill Park in Surrey is offering The Latymer Picnics from its Michelin starred restaurant, Matt Worswick at The Latymer. Take your picnic bag out into the grounds to enjoy some caviar and Champagne on a picnic blanket in the summer sunshine.

Coworth Park’s evocative grounds provide a range of inspiration for team gatherings, such as the rose garden, the lime grove, the sunken gardens and even within the meadow itself. Groups can enjoy extraordinary picnics or an al fresco BBQ on the terrace.

Set in 376 acres of stunning National Trust gardens, Cliveden House is ideally suited to allow for more space to sip, savour and reconnect with colleagues at a socially distanced gathering. In partnership with Veuve Clicquot, the property has transformed the Astor Grill’s courtyard into a retro suntrap for foodies with a love for laidback luxury.

Takeaways of fluffy scones (and all the trimmings), fish and chips and the Astor Grill burger are on offer to enjoy with a chilled glass (or bottle!) or bubbles.

Feeling a bit more active? Why not try Chewton Glen’s Veuve Clicquot Picnic Bike Ride. Head out from the hotel to explore the New Forest and the Dorset and Hampshire coastline on a bike with a basket, a freshly prepared picnic equipped with a soft blanket to sit on and half a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne to keep you refreshed during your travels.

Belmond’s stunning Provençal-inspired Oxfordshire haven, Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons is another great spot for a stylish summer picnic and a chilled glass of Pimms. Stroll through the lavender pathway, amble along the mushroom valley, marvel at the calming Japanese garden and saunter through the orchard.

 

 

 

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