London

© Nancy Tolford

Richard Herring, comedian
‘You’ve got to have a bottle of champagne, some strawberries and a pretty girl, preferably at Kew Gardens, in the sunshine.’

Steve Wallis, winner ‘MasterChef’ 2007
‘I’d make proper scotch eggs; on picnics they’re just the best. And I’d make a summer vegetable quiche – either quiche lorraine or a special one with crab, caviar and crème fraîche. There’d be really good hams and jugs of Pimm’s with loads of strawberries and cucumber from the market. It would definitely have to be somewhere with a nice view, so we’d probably go to Parliament Hill, which has an incredible vista over the playing fields and is great for games of softball or British bulldog. If I was going over the top we’d sit on bright sari fabrics and cushions and I’d put the food in tiffin boxes, real Indian-picnic sty-lee. You want it to be fun, so better to have a laugh with saris than with a grubby old horseblanket.’ Feature continues

Jason Manford, team captain on C4’s ‘8 Out Of 10 Cats’
‘You don’t get many picnic days in Manchester so I try to make the most of them when they do arrive. I’m a bit of a kid so it has to be Vimto and Jaffa Cakes, both of which provide one of your five-a-day requirement. I only found out what houmous was about a year ago from my girlfriend and now I can’t get enough of it, so I’d have that with some cheese butties. One thing I wouldn’t recommend is one of those 10-in-1 games kits you get from garden centres – they’re rubbish! My brother and I got the volleyball kit out and the instructions said, “Weight the ends with sand.” Where are you meant to get sand from in the middle of a park?’

Frankie Boyle, panelist on BBC2’s ‘Mock The Week’
‘My favourite picnic was one I enjoyed aboard the imperial zeppelin of King Bohar the Bronze. One of its many high-vaulted rooms contained a park. King Bohar had hypnotised his dimension’s version of Lenin into being his butler and he put on a fantastic spread, with only the occasional tortured spasm betraying his true feelings. The meal as consisting largely of flavoured bees. When I complemented King Bohar on his hospitality, he laughed and shot into the sky like a bullet.’

Antonio Carluccio, restaurateur
‘An ideal picnic is the location, food and, of course, the company; anyone and everyone can make and enjoy a picnic. Italians like to eat pasta for their picnics, either left over from the day before or made especially for the occasion. An easy and tasty recipe is to mix cooked spaghetti with two tablespoons of parmesan, salt and pepper. Fry in a non-stick pan until both sides are brown and crispy. This can then be cut into slices and eaten cold, followed by fresh fruit and washed down with a glass of cold Prosecco.’

Karen Taylor, star of BBC3’s ‘Touch Me, I’m Karen Taylor’
‘I eat a lot of protein at the moment so there’d have to be a lot of meat involved. Chicken drumsticks, that sort of thing. And no carbohydrates! A bottle of champagne would be good and I’d probably have the picnic in my back garden because I’m lazy.’

Pete Hefferan, guitarist-singer, Pete And The Pirates
‘My essential ingredient for a picnic is Bike Attack. Bike Attack is where you try and knock each other off your bikes – it’s very dangerous but perfect for when the sun is setting on your picnic. You need a hill to push off from, and a large space in which to play.’

Tom Gorbutt, saxophonist/ bassist, The Rumble Strips
‘We played a gig at a picnic in Cardiff the other week. Among the sausage rolls, pâté and French bread we spotted a clothed couple having full sex behind us. So our essential ingredient for a good picnic is fully clothed sex. And pâté.’

Kay Mellor, TV dramatist
‘I’d need avocados, and some really, really good caviar. This Russian woman came over for a play I was involved in and brought caviar and vodka and gave it to the cast. It’s one of the nicest things I’ve ever tasted. Salad, and really good bread are vital – there’s this nutty textured bread in France with walnuts in it – plus a really nice wine.’

Lenny Henry, comedian
‘I’d want me, Dawn, the kid, Nigella Lawson, a van-load of food and a barbecue. While Nigella was cooking we’d hang out and listen to music – maybe Prince would do an acoustic set, with Rosie Gaines and Lauryn Hill on backing vocals. Dawn likes James Taylor so he could play, too. But he’d have to wear a hat.’

Danny Wallace, comedian
‘My ideal picnic involves ducks, bagels and wine. It takes place by the duck pond in Victoria Park in Hackney at around a quarter to two on a lazy Sunday. The Royal Inn on the Park is giving away fine New Zealand wines, while VIP Bagels opposite are doing the catering. Later, after a gentle kickabout with a close circle of friends, and as the wine makes things lazy and hazy and summertime crazy, someone will suggest ice cream and beer, and we’ll all go home sunburnt and happy, and fall asleep in front of “Antiques Roadshow”.’