Sydney’s best picnic hampers

Headed up by chef Scotty Mills, Kirribilli's the Botanist is a go-to for a casual, elegant, modern Australian dining experience with views out over the harbour from the greenery-decked 'burb. Mills' new picnic hampers translate the restaurant's energy into alfresco form, packed with Australian native olives, sliced mortadella, smoked wagyu, duck liver pâte, slices of Australian cheddar, Falwasser crackers, semi-dried tomatoes, a whole heap of condiments and some sweet elements – you've got chocolate strawberries, petite macarons and grapes. One hamper is $72 and serves two to three people. If you place your order with the Botanist before noon, you can pick it up on the same day. 

Local company Pop Up Picnic can cater anything from a couple of cuties out on date to a full company lunch. The smart cardboard hamper design folds out into a picnic table and comes complete with cutlery, plates and plastic Champagne flutes that can be delivered within central Sydney for $20 or collected from their Annandale HQ. They’ve got gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian and kids options, but our pick is the High Tea Hamper ($165 for two) which includes sweet and savoury petite treats like cured salmon with crème fraîche on a potato rosti and Nutella cheesecake with hazelnut praline parfait. Book at least 24 hours in advance.

Husband and wife team, Simon and Natalie Thomas, are picnic connoisseurs. They’re passionate about seasonal produce and they’ve devised five different hampers packed with beautifully arranged gourmet feasts to level up your next picnic. Starting at $145 for two people is the ‘Wind in the Willows’, which features burrata with nectarines, toasted buckwheat and mint, and a spiced chickpea puree with charred baby eggplant (it's a vegetarian hamper, but it can be adapted to be vegan). At the top of the range is ‘The Great Gatsby’, starting at $225, featuring poached and peeled Australian king prawns and chargrilled pasture-fed beef fillet with dijon mustard. Delivery can be arranged from $20 to $40 or you can pick up from the Surry Hills base. Orders are available Wednesday to Sunday. Book at least two days in advance.

Jo Rapisardi started Pretty Picnics in 2012 as an event organising company where she’d set up a four-course picnic in the park for her customers, and later return to clean up afterwards. Based in Camden, Pretty Picnics now caters for private picnics all the way up to wedding picnics, proposal picnics and pop-up events for clients like Moonlight Cinema. If you’re planning picnic for a special occasion Jo can organise the works. For something simpler you can order food boxes starting at $75 with free delivery for breakfast, lunch or graizing. Or you can go for the whole shebang and have a luxe picnic set up for you, starting at $400. Picnics can be collected from their Camden HQ or delivered within the Macarthur Region and Greater Sydney. Order 48 hours in advance.