Ah May Week: the culinary crown to my year, a Brideshead Revisited-esque haven. Bottles of champagne uncorked by the river, freshly picked strawberries covered in lashes of cream in Grantchester meadows, trays of afternoon tea enjoyed on punts; boys dressed in those Cambridge brown chinos, girls in light summer dresses swirling in the wind (Reinforcing the gender binary much?), one of us reading Thus Spoke Zarathustra aloud, another leisurely dipping into Principia Mathematica, yet others engaged in a friendly intellectual exchange about the implications of the perestroika to Putin’s Russia, the whole scene set in sepia…

I lie. My May Week picnics have always been more of a case of dubious punting skills, punts being stranded on river banks (yes, this is possible), sunstrokes, rain, genetically modified giant strawberries, mini pork pies and sausage rolls provided by Sainsbury’s Basics, all purchased only after a sizeable chunk of time spent arguing about suitable snacks. Like every year, though, I believe this year will be the year my picnics will prosper in true Cambridge style. For inspiration, I bring to you my favourite ideas from across the globe – and my humble self.

When I think of national picnic traditions, Japan and hanami are the first to spring to mind. These picnics draw parks full of picnickers, keen to observe the annual cherry blossoms, and baskets filled to the brim with homemade dishes. Unfortunately, the general absence of gyp room facilities for Japanese homecooking limits the Cambridge hanami options somewhat. However, in Japan lazier picnic-goers can rely on hanami bento boxes: these delightful packs include vegetables cut into cherry blossom shapes, different types of fingerfood from familiar sushi to ‘cute cherry blossom rice-ball barrels’ (basically cooked rice balls with artfully arranged pickles), cakes from mochi balls to Swiss roll –type creations, and even simple snacks such as egg salad sandwiches. With a little creativity, googling, and maybe a helping hand from Itsu, a gyp room friendly bento box is sure to feature in this summer’s picnic season.

In some countries, style in food is met or even exceeded by style in the setting. If you’re one for classier dining experiences, look south to France and east to Turkey. Plastic cups are too often a staple of Cambridge picnics. To ensure that that bottle of Sainsbury’s cava tastes its very best, opt for fine stemware like the French do: the shape of the traditional wine glass allows the wine’s flavours and aromas to breathe, whereas an unsophisticated cup suffocates them. Turkey, on the other hand, goes beyond glassware and completes the picnic experience with cushions, rugs, and furniture; essentially things that you are banned from bringing into most college accommodation. By midnight, the picnics that are still going transform into full-blown parties featuring bonfires, music, dancing, and raki, a liquorice-flavoured alcohol. Sounds a lot like May Ball to me.

But sometimes the call to a potluck picnic can come with too little warning to gather one’s cushions, perfect one’s umami, or whip up that Pikachu-shaped cake for your bento box. My personal picnic saviour tends to be a hit with even the pickier picnic-goers and is so simple that even the ten-year-old me managed edible results. I present my ridiculously simple spinach and feta rolls. With the National Picnic Week kicking off on the 11th of June, it is about time I perfected my picnic skills. Anticipate many practice rounds, dubious sushi, not-so-cute mochi balls, wine glasses broken in transportation (so a bike basket might not be the safest option?), and an overload of spinach and feta: even if it’s not quite Brideshead Revisited, at least it won’t be Sainsbury’s Basics on a sadly stranded punt either.

Ridiculously simple spinach and feta rolls
(Makes approx. 40 bite-sized rolls)

Ingredients:

250g frozen spinach

200g feta cheese

1 egg white pepper

500g frozen puff pastry

Method:

1. Melt and drain the spinach.

2. Crumble up the feta with a fork, and mix the spinach, feta, and egg into an even paste. Flavour to taste with white pepper.

3. Roll out the frozen puff pastry into thin rectangles, and spread a strip of the filling into the middle.

4. Roll up and cut into bite-sized pieces.

5. Glaze with egg and bake for about 15 minutes at 200°C – et voilà, you have the perfect, truly moreish picnic snack!