Boris Johnson has announced changes to the current lockdown measures in England that mean people can meet in groups of up to 6 people from Monday, as long as they are outdoors and follow social distancing guidelines. That means you can meet in someone's garden, as well as in public parks.
'These changes mean that friends and family can start to meet their loved ones - perhaps seeing both parents at once or both grandparents at once,' the Prime Minister said on Thursday evening. 'For many people I know this will be a long awaited and joyful moment.'
The measures received a mixed response, with some welcoming the news given the rising temperatures of while others were wary of how feasible it is that parks and public spaces won’t be overrun with people if we can all suddenly loiter in groups for as long as we like.
Of course, if we are able to follow the guidelines safely it means people living in small spaces without outdoor space will have a new lease of life. More than that, there’s one more party option for all those quarantine birthdays and anniversaries happening right now. No longer are you forced to celebrate indoors, but you can plan a fun, socially distanced, celebration in the form of a picnic or barbecue to really make the day special.
So, how can we follow the rules safely and ensure it’s a fun experience? Here are our ideas.
Make each guest responsible for bringing their own food
For a garden barbecue:
Our lives right now are all about minimising risk and that means considering your food options carefully. When sharing food with others, the risk of not being able to stay two metres apart increases. So, either bring your own food and cutlery and take turns on the barbecue or make sure everyone is serving themselves using their own utensils. It might be tempting to play host, but putting everyone's health first is more important.
Perhaps there could be a serving table next to the barbecue, where you can place the food onto trays and let everyone come and get what they want one at a time. Remember, the risk increases if you touch something that someone else has touched after coughing or sneezing into their hand, so avoid touching other people's food as much as possible.
For a picnic:
The same rules as above apply if you're meeting people from outside your household, but if you're only going out for a picnic or hosting a barbecue with house members, it may be fun to have one person each bring a vital part of the picnic food. One for starters and snacks, one for the scrumptious mains and another for dessert – you can even have an alcohol correspondent to bring the summer cocktails. That way, even if you’re all running around planning your picnic in the same house, there’s an element of surprise for whoever your celebrating – or for all of you if it’s your first fun day out in a while.
When it comes to the picnic food, make sure to keep it summer-friendly and pack in as much separate Tupperware as possible. Starters could be as simple as hummus and breadsticks or vegetables – a cheese board if you’re feeling fancy. While sandwiches are the obvious go-to for a picnic, maybe try elevating them with some crusty bread, prosciutto and sides of olives or grapes. Or go all out with your new baking skills and bring along a plait, pasty or sausage roll. And for dessert? Well, there’s never been a better time to put all that banana bread to use.
Don’t forget to bring a separate ice bag to keep any beverages cold or spice up the picnic with an impromptu cocktail making session (hey, if you’re going as a group, who says you can’t bring a cocktail shaker to the park?!).
For picnics, plot out your space ahead of time and make it your own
This may not always be possible, but if it’s a park or space you're familiar with – plan ahead to pick the least populated areas and times to spend in the park. You may want to embrace the midday sun, but remember many others will too - so maybe hold off until late afternoon before heading down and keep an eye on the busier times in your local area. If you're celebrating a birthday or romantic date, you could even plan your picnic around sunset to strike the perfect balance between a cosy and less-populated setting.
Explore the park before settling on one space, perhaps away from entrances or exits and pathways. Once you’ve picked an area, bring enough blankets to set out a clear two-metre space round the entire group, or you could even go year 6 playground style and place cones or bags in a six-foot perimeter around you to be extra safe - no one's judging when it comes to saving lives.
This could even go for barbecues, why not each claim a spot in the garden that you can make your own with blankets? Clear a pathway to the house for when someone needs the toilet and you've got an easy way to stay two metres apart while socialising.
Stay sanitized
Remember, this isn’t just packing for your average picnic or going to a barbeque where you can pop in and out of the house whenever you need. While the government has said you can go in someone else's house to use the toilet (that rule currently only applies in England), in public spaces you can't count on toilets being open. So, make sure you bring hand sanitizer and plenty of water. Picnic areas may not be available, so alongside your blankets make sure to bring chairs for anyone who has a hard time sitting on the ground for extended periods of time.
When you do use a toilet in someone else's house, make sure to sanitise everything before and after touching it, disposing of whatever you used to clean and washing your hands thoroughly after, and always flushing with the lid down.
Make it Instagrammable
Stock up on comfy blankets and pillows, not only will this increase the amount of space between other picnic-havers or barbecue guests but it will make for a much more Instragrammable picnic. Make each family member or housemate responsible for bringing one aesthetic item that will cosy up the setting, be it a cute blanket, fluffy pillow or even some fairy lights if you’re staying out to watch the sunset.
It might sound superficial, but you're allowed to be extra planning the one social outing we've been granted in two months. If you're celebrating an occasion, you could even bring party items or presents to make it all the more fun - it's not like we don't have the time to plan, huh?
Support local restaurants
With many pubs open for takeaways and restaurants still delivering, there’s no reason you can’t pick up a special treat from your local on the way to the park or someone's house. Or, think ahead and have some food or alcohol delivered ahead of time to bring with you. Either way, you’ll be treating yourself and supporting a local business bound to be struggling during this time.
Of course, remember to sanitise everything if your buying food or drinks for other people - perhaps this is a better option if it's a Bring Your Own Food barbecue.
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