Food Essentials For Your Stay In A Holiday Home

Breakfast

Unless you have the facilities, avoid cooked breakfasts. Instead, opt for:

• Fresh/tinned fruit
• Cereal bars
• Multi-pack of children’s cereals
• Bread (for toasting)

Lunch

Think about items that can easily be taken on a family outing and popped into a lunchbox, for example:

• Sandwich fillers
• Crisps
• Fruit
• Yoghurts
• Cheese portions
• Fresh vegetables (Carrot sticks, cherry tomatoes, etc.)
• Sweets
• Finger cakes
• Dried fruit
• Soft drinks in cartons/pre-filled bottles of water
• Breadsticks
• Crackers

Picnic Traditions From Around the World

The British picnic tradition often involves a plethora of finger foods that can be eaten cold – like the ones listed above, but picnic traditions around the world differ greatly depending on the country you are in. If you want to add a unique twist to your picnic lunch, consider some of the worldly traditions below.

• In Japan, warm spring days call for a picnic beneath a blooming cherry blossom tree
• Australians have their very own Picnic Day Holiday that takes place every August. Families enjoy tugs of war and lizard racing
• If indulging in a picnic in France, forget the plastic plates and glasses; the real deal is required to truly enjoy the food and drink on offer
• American picnics often include cook-outs of BBQs and the good, old American tradition of an eating competition
• A picnic in New Zealand is much more akin to a BBQ with hog roasts and baked potatoes cooked in the fire. And remember, don’t forget the thermos of tea!
• In Finland, the May Day celebrations can be a little overzealous, leading to many kicking off May with a Herring Lunch, consisting of plenty of pickled fish and a glug of Schnapps to ease the hangovers away
• In Turkey, you can expect to dine in comfort; along the lines of plush furniture, cushions and rugs to set the scene for a family picnic

Dinner

Consider the facilities you have available when packing. Do you have a microwave, hob, barbeque, toaster, etc…?

Ideal items include:

• Tinned soup
• Microwavable rice
• Cold meats (Ham, salami or corned beef)
• Pasta
• Microwavable noodles
• BBQ meats and veg (Sausages, burgers, kebabs, corn-on-the-cob)
• Bread rolls
• Baked beans
• Sausage rolls
• Pies
• Pasties

Marinade in a Mason Jar

If you find yourself frustrated with just how messy it can be to marinade or rub your meat with spices pre-grilling, you’ll love this trick. Instead of fussing with plates and brushes, put your meat, spices, and sauces in a clean, empty jar. Be liberal with the amounts, then pop the lid on and shake. Your meat will be covered, your hands will be (relatively) clean, and your dinner will be delicious!

Vary Your Tong Choices

You will need tongs that have grip, for flipping burgers and serving up food, and you will need tongs for stoking the fire and turning the coals (preferably with insulated handles, so you don’t get burnt). These should not be the same tongs, otherwise, you get dust and ash on dinner, and grease will cause flares in the coals. And an extra life hack for good measure: if your barbecue is impromptu and you don’t have tongs, use chopsticks to turn and serve food instead.

Garden Salad

A bowl full of fresh, crisp and crunchy vegetables is a great dish to enjoy on a hot summer’s day. Not only is it an incredibly healthy combination of greens and vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals, but there are plenty of variations on the dish so you can mix it up according to your personal tastes. If you fancy a salad with a dressing, with chicken, with fish or even with potato salad and pasta side dishes, you can. Flexible, tasty, nutritious and flexible, the classing English garden salad is a summer food staple.

Eton Mess

This traditional English dessert is usually served at the annual cricket game between Harrow School and Eton College. The meringue, cream and strawberry mixture got its current name in the 19th century; the “mess” being the appearance of the dish’s mixed up ingredients. Eton Mess can be made with a number of summer fruits, including banana according to some recipes, but the strawberry version is considered the most traditional and indeed, the most iconic.

Pimm’s and Lemonade

The British drink of choice during the summer months is Pimm’s and lemonade with plenty of ice and a whole medley of different fruits for garnish and flavour. Pimm’s was first produced by James Pimm in 1823. Since then it has become an iconic British tipple, not to mention the signature drink of huge events like Wimbledon, the Henley Regatta and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Usually mixed with freshly chopped ingredients like cucumber, apples, oranges, lemons, strawberries and mint, the drink is finished off with ice and lemonade to make it a more refreshing cocktail.

Kendal Mint Cake

Originally from Cumbria, the Kendal Mint Cake is a popular source of energy for climbers and mountaineers. Peppermint-flavoured and entirely made of sugar, the mint cake is refreshing but very much a rare treat. Of course, holidays are made for rare treats which is why this traditional British confection is perfect for holidaymakers, especially those on caravan holidays in Worcestershire, where walking and hiking are popular activities with the Malvern Hills and Cotswolds so close by.

Strawberries and Cream

Try putting this British classic in a little pot to make the perfect portable dessert. You can mix it all up, put the strawberries in pots and take cream separately or use homemade whipped cream or clotted cream and make a layered strawberry and cream trifle.

Summer Fruit Scones

Fruit scones, whipped cream, strawberry jam and fresh strawberries are the perfect combination for a summer afternoon. You can have the scones “open” with the toppings layered on each half, or if you need an easy, portable treat you can try making summer fruit scone sandwiches.

Traditional Summer Pudding

An abundance of berries in the summer months means that you can get creative and use all sorts of berry-dependent dessert recipes. One popular berry-based dish is the traditional Summer Pudding which combines everything from strawberries and raspberries to blackcurrants and blackberries. Made with fruit and bread, this dessert is incredibly simple and utterly delicious, though it does require some prep the day before as per this Summer Pudding recipe. If you leave yourself enough time, once you have the hang of it you will find that this pudding is an easy and effective summer dessert.

Slow-Cooked Stew and Dumplings

Is there anything more comforting after a brisk walk in the countryside than coming home to a slow-cooked stew, packed full of tender beef or lamb and a selection of your favourite vegetables? And those dumplings are the icing on the cake, for a real nostalgia trip!

Prepare your meat and veg before adding to your slow cooker with a stock and gravy and let it do its thing while you make the most of your getaway; hiring a caravan really opens up the options for you!

Add some dumplings and some cabbage and serve with freshly warmed bread and a glass of wine for a perfect stew and dumpling dinner.