Beijing's Best Products for Artisan-Filled Picnic Baskets

When thinking of family picnics of childhoods past, closed soggy sandwiches with lackluster fillings may come to mind. Floppy iceberg lettuce, cheese, and tomato, or perhaps your family preferred the classic afternoon tea-style cucumber sandwiches, perfectly cut into bite-sized triangles?

Well, it’s time to do away with the old and switch up the picnic game a notch or two. Revolutionize your picnic basket this summer with some of the best artisan products in town, and take your al fresco dining from high street pickings to haute couture fantastic, cutting your picnic prep time in half in the process.

All of these items can be delivered straight to your door, and most are freshly prepared and packed and ready for you to sling into your hamper, which means no buttering or layering before you leave the house.
 

Butcher Brouillette (WeChat: humantyphoon)

Forget what you think you know about dried and cured meats, Kara Brouillette’s generous meat-laden bags adorned with 1950s tattoo insignia are not just a unique take on the humble bar snack but robust with flavor and texture. The cool and quirky brand is a wonderful reflection of the creator behind all the meaty magic. Orange hair, perfectly placed piercings, and awesome body art are the signature attributes of our resident femme butcher.

My favorite has to be the Angus tips, moist with just enough textured bite to get your teeth into. Lightly spiced with Spanish smoked paprika, garlic, onion, and Kampot black pepper, these morsels of yumminess are oh-so-moreish and completely free of artificial flavorings. Partner with a premium lager or craft beer, and for the more luxurious palate I would stretch to washing them down with a medium dry Prosecco.

The pork cracklings come a close second. The light and crispy texture of the cracklings are unlike pork scratchings, which are usually a little more brittle. Seasoned with a unique spice blend that Brouillette has coined “Piggy Stardust,” the Butcher Brouilette pork rinds resemble and taste more like perfectly fried pork crackers that could easily accompany a bowl of chicken chow mein, or in the case of a picnic, a glass of Pimms!

The beef jerky has a slightly more traditional taste and texture, however, is more thinly sliced into wonderful shards perfect for gnawing at. Chew alongside the spiced sausage, which I would partner with a mini, picnic-basket-sized bottle of red Bordeaux (or a normal size – who’s judging!). The packaged cured meats are ready to go and can be slung straight into the basket or hamper. Slice up the sausage as you like and pass by a local deli for some olives to add to the mix.
 

Jar Jar Minx (WeChat: CharLouise)

I bet you were wondering when bread would make an appearance in your basket? Well, gourmet food brand Jar Jar Minx brings you Mediterranean flavors with culinary flair and creativity. Olives, nuts, and fresh herbs play key roles in Jar Jar Minx’s delicious creations, which also include a variety of unique jams and even rich liquors.

These spreads and dips are the perfect accompaniment to a crusty loaf or French baguette. No need to slice or butter, simply rip a generous hunk off and lovingly spread with or dip into one of Charlotte’s scrumptious tapenades. Alternatively, stack an open sandwich with a spread of your choice and enjoy. I'd also recommend pairing these tapenades with thin slices of Italian Parma ham, and washing it down with something dry like a crisp Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

Those with a sweeter tooth may want to opt instead for the potently rich passion fruit curd, packed with premium, quality ingredients, and of course, is made with love. The curds also match wonderfully with Elvira’s sumptuous jarred spreads (see below).

The Provençal tapenade, made using black and green olives, dried tomatoes, and herbes de Province is hearty and packed full of flavor. I am a massive fan of garlic and so, of course, the roasted garlic version is perfect for anyone who likes a punch of flavor, which here is beautifully partnered and slightly tempered by green olives and almonds. Yum.
 

Elvira’s Nuts (WeChat: asteroidelvira)

Enter Queen of Nuts, Elvira! Free from artificial flavorings and with no added sugar, Elvira’s Nuts is the perfect brand for those seeking healthy but hearty nut-based products that can be perfectly matched with yogurts, fruit, and more.

Elvira has taken Beijing's health-conscious sect by storm with her uncompromising attitude towards taste and there’s no shortage of choice when making a purchase of delicious items to fill your breakfast bowls, or to spread on breads, or sprinkle over just about anything of your choice.

Elvira showed us how to stack a recycled glass jar with Greek yogurt and either her fruity muesli or crunchy granola, along with a layer of her sumptuous tooth-achingly sweet natural chocolate spread. Don’t worry about doing your layering at home, get the picnic blanket down and start making your own DIY layered muesli and yogurt jars while at the park.

Elvira’s jarred spreads are equally delicious. Again, rip a bit of crusty bread from your baguette or loaf and get dipping, or make sweet and sticky open sandwiches with almond and hazelnut chocolate spread, layered with one of Jar Jar Minx’s curds.

If the summer heat gets too much and you need a little pick-me-up, take along a few delicious energy balls, made with an assortment of dry seasonings, dates, goji berries, coconut, ginger, and sesame butter. Partnered with some fruit and a handful of Elvira’s homemade coco pops, they’re light and sweet and dissolve on the tongue. Save some for breakfast in the morning and serve with almond or soy milk.
 

La Factoria (WeChat: parrae)

So we’ve given you open sandwiches, artisan snacks, dips, and spreads and suggested what to match them with – it’s now time for a carb fest! Homemade pasta is the way to go. For that, there's Jorge Cordero, founder of La Factoria, a small factory churning out fresh and dry homemade pasta and sauces right here in Beijing. Cordero developed a passion for Italian food and flavors when he spent time working for a restaurant-pasta factory in Fuerteventura, Spain, owned by an Uruguayan family with Italian roots.

It might never have occurred to you to bring along lasagna to a picnic, but this a gourmet picnic after all, and when perfectly layered lasagna is made to order and delivered to your door – why not? Put under the grill for a few minutes, seal and bring along to enjoy with the family. Cooked pasta can be a joy to eat hot, slightly cooled or cold in a salad. Cordero’s pasta salad was prepared using his homemade fusilli, which made a wonderful addition to the artisan hamper. There's also stuffed ravioli, chicken tortellini, spaghetti, tagliatelle, and robust pestos, including Genovese (made with basil), red pesto (made with tomato and nuts), pesto cream, rocket pesto (made with arugula), bolognese, and so much more!

Cue slow-mo frame of you waltzing into your local park, gourmet picnic basket in hand, hair flowing in the slight summer breeze, as mouths catch flies when you let your epic artisan hamper loose. Open sandwiches? Cured spiced meats? Tapenades and homemade pestos? Yes, yes, yes, and yes! Share the gourmet love and be prepared to spend nearly every spring weekend in the park in the best way possible.

READ: Dig Into Beijing's Best Bar and Restaurant Openings in March

This article originally appeared on our sister site beijingkids.

Images: Uni You