With picnics and garden parties becoming the new way to soak up the sun and socialise this summer, a trip to the supermarket for food supplies won’t suffice. Shop online for mini cakes, afternoon teas and pots filled with spoonable desserts – all melt-proof, easy to carry and so much better than pre-packaged salads.
Cake Pots: Sugar Sprinkles Bespoke Cakes
Two layers of cake sandwiched with buttercream, Sprinkles Bespoke Cakes pops everything you want from a whole slice into a small pot for on the go. The selection ranges from simple vanilla, chocolate or lemon, to cakes that feature alternating layers of flavours: chocolate can be upgraded with Nutella buttercream while vanilla gets even sweeter with layers of white chocolate on top. Finished off with confetti, clouds and rainbows, it’s cake at its cutest.
Cookies and Dips: Dunk Cookies
Small cookies that are chewy, soft and slightly crispy, paired with pots of spreads including triple chocolate brownie (topped with white chocolate curls), Millionaire’s (a seriously sticky salted caramel sauce) or Party Ring butter (the biscuit in spread form), Dunk Cookies transforms little treats into a full-blown feast. The whole experience is fun from start to finish, from building your own box with two different dips to the moment the colourful package arrives and going in for your very first dunk – it’s more-ish and makes you want to try every dip on the menu.
Brownie Trays: Joelle Jacobs
Brownies and blondies might not sound ideal for warm weather, but Joelle Jacobs does them in a way that makes them perfect for picnics. Packaged in a tray, pre-sliced in fours and brimming with UK’s favourite biscuits, these postal bakes contain Jammie Dodgers, Bourbon and Custard Creams in one easy-to-carry treat. Deeply dark and rich or blissfully sweet with swirls of jam, whether you choose brownies, blondies or a surprise selection of them both – they’ll be gone quicker than the sun can do any harm.
Afternoon Tea For Two: Cutter & Squidge
Afternoon tea for two from Cutter & Squidge, the London bakery delivers all the sweet essentials to anywhere in the UK. One kit includes 2 brownies, dreamcakes (the bakery’s famous layer cake transformed into a smaller slice), loose leaf tea and no less than four scones, complete with clotted cream and a pot of homemade jam. All you need is someone to have the whole cream-or-jam-first debate with.
Cookie Dough Tubs: Naked Dough
Grab a spoon, wear baggy shorts and dive straight in, Naked Dough delivers raw cookie dough in small pots (perfect for individual portions) and pints (a size to test your sharing skills and self-control). Flavours include classic vanilla, vegan cookies ‘n cream or chocolate – a selection of firm favourites joined by a monthly-changing special to keep you coming back for more. June is all about Well Jammie: Jammie Dodger biscuit cookie dough.
Cake Pops: Pop Bakery
Chicken, chorizo or veggie skewers, swap the barbecue essentials for something far more fun: cake pops – bite-sized cake balls encased in a crackly sweet layer. Served on a stick in a range of different foods, Pop Bakery delivers fudgy chocolate cake truffles and decorates them with all the iconic features from hamburgers, popcorn, pizza and even champagne. Pop them in your bag and serve them on a platter upon arriving – it’s ok to head straight for dessert when it looks savoury.
