Outdoor eating is big business in the UK. Delis, farm shops, restaurants and wine specialists are all offering pre-packed deli lunches, picnics to go and ready-made hampers through the summer months. It's a simple way to refresh your range and attract new customers while boosting margins.
However, the unpredictability of the weather will have an impact on sales, which may rise or fall depending on rainfall and temperature. That’s why it’s worth planning for all eventualities. To help you do this, we have compiled five picnic hamper ideas, covering what to pack, how to present each hamper, and how to price it across three different tiers.
1. Target your audience
Knowing your customers is the starting point for any picnic offer. Ask yourself:
- Who is buying your products?
- What types of food do they like?
- How big are their families?
The answers shape everything that follows, from the size of container you buy to the price point you set. Getting this right helps you prepare picnic hampers that meet your customers' needs and build long-term loyalty.
2. Food to go packaging
If you are a specialist food retailer, the care you take in selecting and hand-picking your produce means you already have a strong understanding of what your customers are looking for. So why not offer these products as part of a picnic takeaway service or BBQ pack?
While the market is competitive, services like these can help your business stand out by transforming products you already sell into convenient, ready-made outdoor hampers, giving customers an easy way to enjoy your food on the go.
Our food to go packaging covers the practical side. It includes everything you need to create the perfect picnic, from takeaway boxes and greaseproof paper to kraft paper carrier bags, wooden cutlery and napkins.
When it comes to the contents, focus on items customers can eat straight away. Ready-to-enjoy products reduce the need for extra equipment, preparation and clean-up, helping to create a hassle-free picnic experience. It's also worth keeping glass to a minimum, as bottles and jars are heavy, breakable and can add to costs. Instead, balance one or two premium showpiece items with lighter products packaged in pouches or sachets. If your picnic includes chilled items, our Sorba-Freeze 24 Cell Pack can help keep temperature-sensitive products cool.
Pick a theme and stick to it, whether that's a ploughman's selection, an afternoon tea or a summer BBQ pack. Make sure the packaging of individual products complements the overall look too, as a cohesive colour palette reflects a carefully curated selection, while a clashing wrapper can make the hamper feel less considered.
For hampers displayed in open containers, a cellophane hamper bag helps keep everything in place and prevents customers from unpacking the contents while browsing. When arranging the hamper, position your largest and tallest items at the back to create height and stability. Place medium-sized products in front, then fill any remaining gaps with smaller items to achieve a balanced and attractive presentation.
Read more about WBC's range of food to go packaging and how it's changing the way we serve.
3. Offer a free hamper and blanket service
Create price points for set menu options. Customers can call in advance to place orders and choose a picnic hamper within their budget.
Then it's as simple as them leaving a deposit, picking up the picnic, and returning the hamper at a later date. Throw in a returnable picnic blanket or accessories and the BBQ picnic service really comes alive.
Here is an actual real picnic service listing we spotted in our local farm shop:
"Spend over £15 on a selection of fine food deli items, and you'll receive full use of our luxury hamper basket, complete with blanket and everything you need to create your perfect picnic day out. Just leave a deposit of £25 which will be refunded on return of your basket. Leave it with us and we'll even do your washing up!"
4. Set your hamper price point
Our wicker hamper baskets and food to go boxes come in a wide range of sizes, which makes it easy to offer ready-made takeaway hampers at a variety of price points that appeal to your widest customer base.
Create a starter picnic pack, then offer a mid-range and a luxury option, adjusting the contents to suit each tier. Since the container is often the largest single packaging cost, it provides a useful starting point when setting prices across your range.
A starter pack works best with food-to-go packaging, keeping packaging costs below £1 per picnic. Ribbed kraft paper bags with twist handles start from £0.23 per unit when purchased in packs of 200, while no-leak kraft takeaway boxes are available from £0.14 each in packs of 300. Wooden cutlery and kraft napkins cost as little as £0.02 per item, and greaseproof paper can be used to wrap individual products. This tier is ideal as a grab-and-go offering that customers can easily carry away themselves.
For the mid-range tier, a fabric bag increases packaging costs to between £2 and £4 per picnic. Large natural jute bags with padded handles start from £1.76 per unit when purchased in packs of 10, while our large natural jute cooler bag starts from £3.75 per unit in packs of five for picnics that include chilled items. As customers keep the bag, adding your logo can help promote your brand long after the picnic has been enjoyed. Branded bags can be delivered within 7 to 10 working days of artwork approval.
At the luxury end, wicker takes the packaging cost to between £10 and £20 per picnic. A 14-inch wicker hamper starts from £10.04 per unit, rising to £12.77 for a 16-inch hamper, £14.49 for an 18-inch hamper and £19.49 for a 20-inch hamper. For a more premium finish, add a cotton liner, which can be embroidered with your branding. As wicker hampers can be reused time and time again, this tier is a natural fit for the deposit-and-return service described above.
5. Tote bags, shopping bags and paper bags
Bags make an excellent alternative to traditional wicker hampers when your budget doesn't stretch that far. They require no assembly, accommodate products of all shapes and sizes, and take up very little storage space behind the counter.
Our fabric bags range covers jute, cotton, canvas and juco. For picnics, we particularly recommend the large natural jute cooler bag, as its insulated lining helps keep chilled items cool on the way to the park. It is also sturdy enough to carry heavier items, such as bottles.
The added benefit is branding. Most of our bags can be personalised with your company name and logo and delivered within 7 to 10 working days of artwork approval. Because customers are likely to reuse them, your brand remains visible long after the initial picnic experience.
