What better way to enjoy a warm Summer’s day than by grabbing a blanket and heading out to the countryside for a picnic.  Whether you are enjoying a picnic with a loved one, your family or with a group of friends you want to have a picnic hamper that will impress.  You will want to make sure that you get the right combination of snacks and drinks for your hamper rather than just some egg sandwiches and tea.  Below are a list of a few different ideas for food and drinks you can put in a luxury food hamper of your own.

1. Something To Help You Cool Off – One thing that you will definitely need is something to drink especially on a hot day.  The sort of drinks you serve will depend on the sort of people you are planning on enjoying your picnic with.  If you have children then you will want to make sure that you have some healthy soft drinks that will keep them refreshed throughout the day.  If you are with a group or are having a romantic picnic then a couple of bottles of wine will go down a treat.

2. Some Tasty Cheese – Cheese is a tasty yet simple food to take on a picnic.  It would be a good idea to get a selection of different cheeses for everyone to enjoy.  The great thing about having a selection of different ones is that everyone at your picnic will be able to find something they like.

3. Quiche – It is important to make sure you have a decent bit of food to eat and quiche is a great accompaniment to most other snacks.  There are a great number of different types of quiche out there for you to enjoy.  You could have a quche lorraine or something that is a bit more unusual just as long as it is to your taste.

4. Salad – Salad can be a refreshing and healthy treat for everyone to enjoy.  You might want to have a potato salad for any salad dodgers in your group as well as a nice Greek salad with some feta cheese.

5. Something Sweeter – Everyones favourite part of most meals let alone picnics is moving on to having a dessert or something sweet.  If you have children at your picnic then a selection of confectionery will go down a treat.  For those of you that are a bit older you could choose to pack some cake, yoghurts or even strawberries and cream.

Mothers Day is fast approaching on March 14th. What better way to show your mum you appreciate her than with a food gift? This could be with something like Mothers Day gifts baskets or you could take her out to a nice restaurant so that you spend time together too.

But if you don’t know a great restaurant to take your mum too, how do you find one that won’t disappoint? There are many things to consider, but main thing has got to be the food:
·    Is the menu interesting?
·    Is the food tasty?
· Is it served at the correct temperature?
· Is it nicely presented?
·    Are the portions the size you expect?
·    Is the food cooked to the specifications of the customer?
· Does the food smell great?
· Could you easily have made it yourself?

You can ask for menu’s to be sent to you or you can look them up online to see what food’s on offer. A good way to find out about the place is to read restaurant reviews and guides. Also, remember to check the wine list to see if there is a good selection that compliments the dishes on the menu.

The speed and quality of service is another very important factor when choosing a restaurant.  Staff should be polite, friendly, helpful, not too intrusive and not too slow with taking orders. They should welcome guests immediately on arrival and also be checking with customers when the food has come out that everything is OK. The staff should be knowledgeable about the food and drinks they are serving (this can be checked with friends who have already been or by looking at reviews).

The ambiance of a restaurant will affect your dining experience. You want the day to be a nice treat for your mum, so choose something she’d like. Venues range from cosy and intimate to trendy and brightly lit. Some have live music, others have CD’s and some have nothing at all. Consider if the clientele are really her scene and whether the venue is in the town or in a rural location because the setting can also affect the ambiance.

The cost of your meal is obviously important too, but only you can decide what your budget is and whether you think the restaurant gives you value for money.

If you are planning a meal out with your mum, you can consider all these factors in advance, but if it turns out to be an impromptu decision, it is always a good sign if the restaurant is full of guests and if the locals eat there.

Whatever you choose to do for Mothers Day, food always goes down well, whether it’s a meal cooked at home, a gift of a hamper for her or a lovely restaurant meal. Hampers are available now for Mothers Day as are some special recipes if you feel like cooking something yourself. If you are taking your mum out for a meal, check out some places today as you will need to book soon.