Go on a cheese picnic

Which cheeses would a cheese expert choose to have in a cheese-centric hamper? We find out how to compile the perfect cheese picnic.

If you want to make a picnic special but don't have time to start baking quiches and prepping salads, keep it simple and focus on the best bits, the cheese. All you need is a modest selection, some hunks of good bread and/or simple biscuits, a bottle of something cold and, voila, a faff-free feast.

We asked Hero Hirsh from artisan cheese supplier, Paxton and Whifield, for her word on the curd.

Montgomery Cheddar

A full-flavoured, firm cheddar. Every picnic needs one. Drink with: English pale ale or pear juice.

Camembert de Normandie

A soft cheese that ripens nicely in warm weather. Drink with: dry cider or apple juice.

Aged Gouda

Best aged for around 24 months with a sweet, nutty flavour, this has a creamy texture but is firm enough not to melt en route. Drink with: dry cider or apple juice.

Chaource

Triple cream cheese, very creamy but with a refreshing acidity. Drink with: bubbles - champagne or sparkling elderflower, ideally.

Cornish Blue

A firm blue cheese with a delicious sweetness that's harder than Stilton, so travels well. Drink with: apricot juice or a full-bodied white wine (such as a punchy chardonnay).

Not got June’s The Simple Things yet? Buy or download your copy now.

Recipe ideas from The Simple Things.

Shop love : BEG Bicycles

BEG Bicycles has the prettiest cycling accessories we've ever seen. Fact.

You might have noticed that The Simple Things issue 2 has a bit of a cycling theme. We know looks aren't everything, but we can't help but wonder if an afternoon whizzing through crispy autumn leaves couldn't be improved by one of the gorge bikes or cycling accessories from BEG Bicycles.

This Cambridge-based business has a whole sweetshop's worth of confectionery-coloured bikes, plus classic brown leather saddles, wicker bike baskets and (perhaps our favourite) woollen picnic rugs which can be strapped to your saddle.  Aaaaand...breathe.

We know it's a little early, but we think that this would be the perfect place to pick up some Christmas pressies for our bike loving friends.

Upcycled paper bag basket tutorial

Do any of our readers remember weaving coloured paper into place mats at primary school? Ellinée has given our fave childhood craft project a grown-up twist with their woven basket tutorial, which uses brown paper bags for some rustic appeal.

We'll be following their lead and piling our baskets high with fresh fruit for people to dig into at a picnic lunch. Pop over to Ellinée for a photo guide to creating your own.

Roll up a picnic blanket tote

Remember the handy cutlery wraps we blogged about a while ago? Well, we've found something else to add to this summer's picnic kit - an all-in-one picnic blanket tote.

The best picnic blanket tutorial around comes from the girls at Craft Buds. It's our favourite because it has a waterproof underside, so we can lay it out on damp ground without getting our trousers wet, and  it rolls up into a self-contained tote, so it's easy to stash for the sprint back to the car when the heavens reopen! Perfect for British summertime, we say.

Nibble on a fresh berry tartlet

Berry tartlets are a wonderful, simple way to use fresh fruit. We found these little beauties on Little Upside Down Cake (well worth a peek - the photography alone was enough to get all our stomachs rumbling).

Follow blogger Sanda's example and make up the pastry cases and creamy mascarpone, then let your picnic-mates assemble their own tartlets, tumbling a mixture of berries and crunchy chopped pistachio on top for a relaxed but delicious end to your meal.

Knock up a folding tripod stool

Want to see our latest picnic essential? This folding tripod stool, which will help us relax in style when we're worn out from rambling through the countryside. We love the smart tan leather, we love the old-fashioned design and we especially love the fact that we can fold it up and sling it over our shoulders when we're on the move.

Matt from Design*Sponge assures us that it's possible to knock up our own using some study dowel and a few hardware essentials. Pop over to the blog to see how it's done.

Throw a retro outdoor cinema party

Outdoor entertaining is one of summer's top simple pleasures. We're massive fans of lively barbeques and lazy picnics, but for an extra-special event, we love this outdoor cinema party idea.

Channel old-school cool by setting up a projector in your back garden, draping old crates and boxes with tablecloths and popping up some deck chairs, mismatched cushions and plenty of blankets to keep people comfy and cosy. Keep the retro theme going with your snacks - jars of flavoured popcorn, old fashioned sweeties and bottles of pop.

This awesome party idea comes from Bash, Please for Design*Sponge, with photos from the super-talented Brandon Kidd.

Share some sticky marmalade picnic bread

Enthused by yesterday's Etsy cutlery wrap discovery, we’ve spent all morning hunting out recipes for lovely nibbly food to take on all the picnics we’ll be having.

This marmalade picnic bread recipe from apt 2b baking is quite possibly the ultimate in picnic food. It combines bread and filling in one handy loaf which can be pulled apart for sharing. No need to pack sticky jam jars, knives or cutting boards! How clever.

So clever, in fact, it renders our new knife and fork wraps totally obsolete. Looks like we’ll have to extend our picnic food hunt a little longer…

Keep your picnic tidy with cutlery wraps

The sun is shining, the grass is green and jackets are stowed securely back in our wardrobes. That’s right, picnic season is upon us.

To make al fresco eating much more practical, Etsy seller NStar Studios has come up with these genius picnic cutlery wraps. Roll it up and tie it in a bow to keep your cutlery neatly together rather than clattering around the bottom of your hamper and poking holes in your food bags.

Designer Nicky Ross gets extra points for using bamboo cutlery (reusable, and much more eco-friendly than plastic) and designing a pouch that can be put in the washing machine, ready for the inevitable (or is that just us?) lemonade / yoghurt / juice explosion.