Blankets, Baskets, and Banquets: The Joyful History of Picnics

Eating outside is nothing new. In fact, since human beings have roamed the Earth, we’ve been eating outdoors, but about three hundred years ago it got a little more refined, and the picnic was born. But how does the humble picnic trace its roots from French aristocracy to friends and family in the park? Grab your basket and your blanket, and let’s begin.

Features
17 June 2025

Before Instagram-worthy charcuterie boards and gingham blankets took over our summer feeds, the humble picnic had already been centuries in the making. What started as a casual nibble in the great outdoors has evolved into a summer staple, complete with ants, awkward frisbee games, and the occasional sunburn. But behind every potato salad and warm bottle of lemonade lies a surprisingly rich history of al fresco dining that’s as old as civilisation itself – and far more entertaining than you’d expect.

But this wonderful tradition of getting together started, as most things do, with the aristocracy and the landed gentry. In 18th-century Europe, particularly in France and England, lavish outdoor feasts were a way for the upper classes to flaunt their wealth and leisure – think fine wines, silver cutlery, and the odd string quartet serenading beneath a tree. Of course, the picnic gradually trickled down to the masses and evolved into the casual, potluck-style gatherings we know today.

Which brings us neatly to the most vital question of any modern picnic: did anyone bring a spoon?

Picnic - The Story of the Word

A picnic at the beach (Credit: Dougal Waters via Getty Images)

There’s no universal agreement on the origin of the word picnic, but the general consensus is that it’s derived from two French words, the verb piquer, meaning ‘to peck’ or ‘to pick’, and the noun nique, which can be broadly translated to ‘a thing of little importance’.

The term first appeared in print in a 1649 pamphlet called Les Charmans effets des barricades, ou l’Amité durable de la compagnie des frères bachiques de Pique-Nique, a burlesque satire lampooning the perceived hypocrisy of the Fronde, an insurrection against French absolutism, by depicting nobles feasting together while the city suffered.

When Were The First Picnics?

The fashionable Parisian elite in the seventeenth century (Credit: duncan1890 via Getty Images)

The origins of the picnic, though not yet called by that name, can be traced back to the 17th century. At the time, outdoor dining was more a matter of convenience than leisure – wealthy aristocrats taking part in a hunt would break from their pursuits to eat simple meals brought out to them in the field. These were functional, not festive, gatherings.

However, by the late 1600s and early 1700s, a cultural shift began in France. The term piquenique emerged, and with it, a new form of social dining. No longer confined to practicality, these gatherings became fashionable among the Parisian elite. Curiously, many of the earliest “picnics” were held indoors rather than outside. Guests were expected to contribute either a dish or funds toward a shared meal. These evenings often included music, dancing, and entertainment – though in many cases, “entertainment” was a polite euphemism for gambling and revelry.

This golden age of aristocratic picnicking was abruptly disrupted by the French Revolution. As the ancien régime crumbled, the aristocrats who had once picnicked freely found themselves in peril. Many fled France – some to America, others to Prussia or Austria – but a significant number settled in London, bringing their social customs, including the pique-nique, with them.

The Pic Nic Society

The Pic Nic Society met in Fitzrovia, a quaint area of London (Credit: Alexander Spatari via Getty Images)

For thousands of years, diasporic communities have tried to maintain their traditions, and for the French upper classes who came to London, picnics was one of them. But of course they weren’t the luxuriously lavish affairs they were used to in their sprawling chateaux.

Started in or around 1801 by two hundred or so Francophiles (English lovers of all things French), as well as the recently arrived Parisian upper classes, the Pic Nic Society held raucous events in hired rooms in Tottenham Street, just off Charlotte Street in the heart of fashionable Fitzrovia, where every member was obliged to bring a dish and six bottles of wine. As in France, there was music, dancing, gambling and all sorts of shenanigans, and according to contemporary British caricaturist and social satirist James Gillray, the Pic Nics, as the members were known, were ‘a London scandal’.

Some suggested the group only lasted a couple of years, others have said the Pic Nic Society survived in one form or another until around 1850, but as the nineteenth century unfolded, industrialisation and the rise of the middle class eventually transformed picnics into a popular leisure activity for all to enjoy.

The Modern-Day Picnic

It's all about the experience. Happy National Picnic Day! (Credit: Uwe Krejci via Getty Images)

By the late Victorian era, as the 19th century gave way to the 20th, picnics remained largely the preserve of the upper-middle classes. These leisurely outings were inextricably linked with Britain’s high-society social calendar – events such as the Harrow vs. Eton cricket match, the Henley and Cowes regattas, Ascot week, the Goodwood Festival, and the Epsom Derby were all as much about the contents of one’s Fortnum & Mason hamper as they were about the sport itself.

But change was on the horizon. The Edwardian era brought a more relaxed attitude toward leisure, and as the 20th century progressed, society began to open up. Improvements in public transport – especially railways, trams, and later, the motor car – allowed working- and middle-class families to escape cities and enjoy day trips to the countryside and seaside. Parks became more than just green spaces; they were now venues for leisure, and the picnic became a unifying symbol of recreation and simplicity.

Magazines and newspapers picked up on the trend, offering readers practical guidance on picnic etiquette, outfit choices, and recipes. In the postwar years, particularly the 1950s and ’60s, the picnic became a quintessential part of British family life. Holiday camps, summer fairs, and car boot sales often included a rug and a lunchbox under the sun. Portable radios, tartan thermos flasks, and plastic Tupperware became modern companions to the outdoor meal.

Through the 1970s and ’80s, the British picnic saw further reinvention, often nostalgic and practical in equal measure. While the fare still leaned heavily on ham sandwiches, sausage rolls, and slices of Battenberg, new influences crept in as foreign holidays and global cuisines made their way into everyday life. The humble picnic began to reflect changing tastes and influences, evolving with every generation.

Today, the spread might include Italian ciabatta, Spanish jamón, Greek feta, olives from a deli, and a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand or Chile. But just as it was in centuries past, the real essence of a picnic isn’t in the ingredients – it’s in the experience. Whether you’re sprawled in a royal park or perched on a windswept hillside, it’s about gathering with others, sharing food, laughter, and stories under the open sky.

The British summer may remain famously unpredictable, but if the sun does shine and someone suggests a spontaneous get-together, odds are people will start packing the strawberries and the sausage rolls. The picnic, ever evolving, is still very much alive.

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