MORE THAN half of the UK (58%) believe the traditional picnic is dead, new national research has revealed.

As Britain’s food fancies continue to evolve, innovative food tech company Foodhub tucked into the nation’s picnic preferences to celebrate National Picnic Month this month (July 2022).

And the research has revealed the traditional picnic has changed beyond all recognition, with almost 9 out of 10 Brits saying the modern picnic bears little resemblance to its traditional counterpart.

While sandwiches (28%) remain the UK’s number one picnic choice, takeaway dishes such as chips (17%), pizza (18%) and fried chicken (22%) now dominate the top 10 modern picnic items.

More than one in four (27%) of those over 65 said sandwiches are still the best item in a picnic meal, but just one in 10 (10%) aged 18-24 opted for the traditional sandwich as a staple of the modern picnic basket.

What’s more, while a traditional picnic tends to include ingredients put together at home, the survey revealed over a third (35%) of the UK now orders their picnic items from a local takeaway or restaurant.

The main motivator for enjoying a picnic in the UK is nice weather (28%) and a further 22% are happy to spend between £10-£14 on a picnic-style meal.

Emma Stockman, Foodhub spokesperson, said: “To celebrate National Picnic Month, we wanted to unwrap all the delicious detail behind the traditional picnic style meal.

“While Brits still enjoy bringing out the picnic blanket and enjoying an outdoor meal with family and friends, it is interesting to note all the different foods that now make it into the picnic basket – it’s a big change from the traditional style picnic we all recognise.

“When it comes to the more modern picnic – we’ve got you covered. We recently launched a Love Local initiative, meaning that the more customers order from their local independent takeaways, the more hot meals we’ll donate to a charity in that local area. We’re also on average 15% cheaper than our competitors, so we’re also cost effective when that need for takeaway food to fill that picnic basket kicks in!”

The Foodhub survey also reveals that 13% of Brits have never had a picnic.

Whether your picnic includes sandwiches, pizza, pasta, chips or more, there are options aplenty to order from your favourite local takeaway and restaurant suppliers on the Foodhub app and website. To order those takeaway treats head to: https://foodhub.co.uk/

TOP TEN ITEMS FOR A PICNIC STYLE MEAL
Sandwiches (28%)
Crisps (28%)
Fried Chicken (22%)
Salad (21%)
Cold Meats (19%)
Scotch Egg (19%)
Fruit (18%)
Pizza (17%)
Chips (14%)
Kebab (12%)