The humble picnic has come a long way in recent years…gone are the soggy sandwiches of the past, made the night before with bread curling, eaten on the beach with a mouthful of sand which somehow embeds itself in the bread. I think Nigella and Jamie have ‘sexed up’ the picnic, we are now expected to provide handmade wraps with homemade pork pie and individual deserts served on proper plates. I can remember my auntie laughing at the memory of my Dad trying to serve open sandwiches on a beach somewhere in the south of England. Maybe he had high hopes to elevate the traditional soggy picnic to fancy status, or may it was just pretentious– who knows!? The Portuguese seem to have elevated the picnic to epic proportions. Tables brought out, always laid with a table cloth, cushions and rugs are scattered like an episode of the Barefoot Contessa, wine is chilled and served in glasses (not plastic cups) and full cutlery is r...