Simply Perfect Summer Picnic Food Ideas

Picnic sandwiches are such an essential part of any summer picnic menu they warranted their own list. We have rounded up the best summer picnic sandwiches with modern twists on the classics, wraps, baguettes and more—each, with the flavours and freshness of summer.

When we think of picnic salads, the mind turns to the classics such as green salad, slaws, potato salad and pasta salad. We've put together a list of summer perfect salads, including new takes on the classics to help inspire your summer salad menu.

Picnic desserts can be tricky at the best of times and no more than in the heat of summer. But summer gives us some of the most beautiful produce for desserts – think fresh berries and tropical fruits. Get inspiration for picnic desserts for hot weather that are perfectly portable for a picnic.

The tastes of summer in one delightfully portable tart. Make the most of flavourful summer tomatoes and fresh summer herbs with this beautiful rustic French tomato tart. Easy to pack and perfect as a hot or cold picnic dish.

Dips are picnic-perfect any time of year because they are such versatile and portable food. Baba ganoush makes a lovely side to bbq meats, as part of a summer Mediterannean antipasto platter or addition to a wine and cheese picnic plattter.

Another picnic hero, a quality homemade hummus will hold you in good stead with so many summer picnic menu ideas. Serve with a summer fresh vegetable crudités platter, with flatbread and olives as a starter, or even as a topping for Mediterranean burgers. Hummus has limitless possibilities. We even have a smoked pumpkin hummus recipe if you want to jazz it up a bit.

What better pairing for hummus and baba ganoush than this vibrant take on the classic falafel.

Beetroot Falafels are great for picnics and makes a lovely change from their traditional counterpart. Serve with dips, in a salad or as a pita filling.

Looking for a light, portable and elegant summer picnic idea, look no further than smoked duck rice paper rolls. Easy to transport and manage al fresco, they are incredibly versatile and are one of the more elegant cold picnic food ideas to grace the blanket.

Add Asian coleslaw for a complete Asian inspired picnic.

Looking for a bright, summery vegetarian rice paper roll? These super easy vibrant and light Vietnamese Spring Rolls are great as a picnic appetizer or a light meal. Full of bright summer veg, they are also low calorie and very good for you. Mix up sauces and fillings to suit.

Mini frittatas are little picnic marvels. One of the simplest picnic finger foods around yet, they still make a big picnic statement. 

Serve them as a starter or as part of a finger food spread. So quick and easy to make, switch fillings to suit your taste, the seasons or how much time you have to prepare.

Whether it’s a wine and cheese picnic, a finger food affair, or as a picnic appetiser, these prosciutto-wrapped figs with goats cheese and crisp arugula are about as simple as it gets and will always impress.

Delightfully salty and sweet, add these prosciutto rolls to a cheese platter or an antipasto plate. Or, serve as a side to a hearty salad such as our potato and broccoli salad with fresh bread for an easy yet classy picnic. 

We love a dish that doesn't require lots of ingredients to make it special. Make the most of summer figs and add a gloriously decadent touch to your picnic feast with this delicious fig & pig picnic bread.

Somewhere between a flatbread and focaccia, you can make this dish the day before. Serve it is an accompaniment or as a central dish.

Another elegant summer picnic appetiser. Perfect for summer wine and cheese evenings or a romantic summer picnic. Salty, sweet, and crunchy, these grilled pear and blue cheese appetiser with fig and walnut appetisers are so portable and make a beautiful picnic statement.

We also featured these meaty morsels in our Winter Picnic Food edition because as any Aussie will tell you, and probably a Brit or two, a quality meat pie is as good as a winter warmer as it is on a hot summers day.

Crispy flaky pastry with beef gravy perfection for deliciously portable tiny bites. Freeze them for make-ahead picnic or party food or a quick snack on the go.

Another Australian and British favourite, sausage rolls are the perfect portable snack. Enjoy with homemade tomato chutney, your favourite ketchup, or "tomato sauce" as Aussies call it. Pack these with some mini meat pies for a bakery-style picnic feast.

Our tips for keeping food warm for a picnic will ensure they stay piping hot from the oven to your summer alfresco location of choice.

Sweet or savoury, pinwheels are a classic picnic favourite because they are so easy and so adaptable. For a hot savoury version, try these Italian inspired Sausage Pinwheels made in a buttery puff pastry filled with Italian sausage meat, spinach, cheese, and pesto.

Bring the taste of a Hawaiian luau to your summer picnics. While traditionally cooked in the ground at a luau, you can get all the same smokey, tender flavours with this easy Kalua Pork instant pot recipe.

Use it as a sandwich or slider filling or layer over lettuce for a tender pulled pork salad. You'll find so many ways to use this crowd-pleasing picnic dish.

For a different spin on the sausage roll, try a summer picnic classic. It's like a sausage roll and Scotch egg rolled into one.

So easy to make and just as good cold as hot, it makes a perfect dish for summer picnics, especially when you have to feed a crowd.

Sometimes a well-curated cheese plate is all you need for a summer picnic.

Whether the centrepiece of a date night wine and cheese picnic or as an appetiser for a group picnic or bbq, a cheese plate with the seasons best produce is always a winner. It's also a great way to feed a crowd without too much hassle.

Light and fluffy Cheese Scones with cheddar cheese and spring onions make the most delicious savoury picnic snack. Serve them as savoury afternoon tea or as part of an appetiser plate.

Eat them with butter and a sprinkle of sea salt, or add toppings such as cream cheese, chutneys or dips.

You don't get much more of a British picnic tradition than a classic ploughman's lunch. Traditionally, the lunch is centred around bread, cheeses, and pickled onions. Meats, relishes, boiled or Scotch eggs (see further on for Scotch eggs recipe.) or whatever you fancy can also be added to the simple yet abundant platter style lunch.

Muffins are a great picnic addition because they travel so well and don't require any equipment to eat them. Savoury muffins give you a whole new way to serve them at a picnic.

These tasty morsels are packed with olives and flavourful cheese. Serve them as a snack or alongside a picnic salad. It's a great alternative to serving bread.

Another British marvel, these beef pasties with optional horseradish are stuffed full of root vegetables and beef with a generous peppery seasoning – a handheld savoury pie to devour with delight.

Up there with pies and sausage rolls, pasties are the kings of the portable feast. After all, they were invented by miners wives on the British Isles to be a portable and substantial meal to keep workers going during long shifts down the mines.

Make your picnic a little decadent with these finger-licking, melt in your mouth sous vide short ribs. Meltingly tender, juicy and glazed in your favourite BBQ sauce, they make fabulously delicious finger food for a picnic.

Don't forget to pack the wet wipes!

Traditional Scotch eggs are another famous UK picnic food. A hard-boiled egg wrapped in a sausage meat casing spiced with herbs and other spices, coated in breadcrumbs and traditionally deep-fried.

Famed for its portability and as a flavourful yet substantial snack on the go, many versions of the Scotch egg have appeared over the years, but the classic is always a winner.

Serve hot or cold, on their own or with a chutney or sauce of your choosing—a delicious addition to a Ploughmans lunch.