Picnics sound simple. In reality, they’re a small logistical exercise involving at least three shops, one forgotten item, and someone saying “we should’ve brought more snacks.”
The good news is that around Wicks Place, most of the heavy lifting is already done. Within a short wander, you’ve got Harris Farm Markets, Chargrill Charlie’s, Zambrero and Sushi Train, which means you can build a very respectable picnic in about 10 minutes flat.
Here are five formulas that tend to work very well.
The Euro Summer Picnic
Tomatoes, good bread, salty snacks and something cold to drink. Start at Harris Farm Markets and lean into the Mediterranean mood: a loaf of crusty bread, ripe tomatoes, burrata or mozzarella, olives and prosciutto. Add a simple deli salad plus some ripe peaches or strawberries for later, and you’ve got the bones of a very lovely afternoon. A plate of kingfish carpaccio from Sushi Train slips neatly into this spread too, bright, citrusy and very happy next to tomatoes, olive oil and good bread.
Chip snack hack:
Take a bag of kettle chips, slice it open lengthways so it lies flat, then top the chips directly in the bag with torn prosciutto, shaved parmesan and a few olives.
The Rotisserie Picnic
Start with the hero: a rotisserie chicken from Chargrill Charlie’s. Then build the spread around it with a couple of their salads, coleslaw for crunch, something creamy like potato bake or pasta salad to round things out. Add a fresh loaf of bread from Harris Farm, a few cold drinks and maybe some fruit or something sweet for later, and suddenly the whole thing comes together: warm chicken to pull apart, salads to pile on, bread to scoop it all up and pack any combination of the above into DIY sandwiches as you wish.
Chip snack hack:
Open a bag of plain chips and scatter over chopped Chargrill Charlie’s chicken, a drizzle of their gravy and a handful of parsley if you’re feeling fancy.
The Fresh & Colourful Picnic
Bright, easy, and good for warm afternoons. Swing past Zambrero and grab a couple of burrito bowls, a bag of tortilla chips and some guac’. Then duck into Harris Farm for a few bonus toppings (some refried beans, extra sour cream and cheese, a few sweet treats for later). Once you’re set up, the bowls turn into a kind of picnic taco bar. Chips become the base, bowls become the toppings, and everyone starts building their own crunchy little bites as they go.
Chip snack hack:
Turn the Zambrero hot chips into a picnic nacho tray: open the bag flat and top with spoonfuls of your burrito bowl, guac and top it all off with some extra chipotle sauce.
The “Sushi in the Sun” Picnic
Light, fresh, and very easy to share. Swing through Sushi Train and pick up a selection of rolls, hand rolls and maybe a few sides. Sushi is perfect picnic food: neat, bite-sized and surprisingly satisfying. Add sparkling drinks or fruit from Harris Farm and find a shady spot.
Chip snack hack:
Pick up a packet of prawn crackers from Harris Farm and top with pieces of sushi, avocado and a little soy drizzle. Think of them as very crunchy sushi canapés.
The Everything Picnic
This is the picnic for people with open minds and curious palates. Start at Harris Farm Markets and grab a few things that can act as the bridge between flavours: a pack of wrap breads and/or soft taco shells, a lime or two, and some fresh bits like cucumbers and avocado. Then make three quick stops nearby: a half chicken and a serve of coleslaw from Chargrill Charlie’s, seaweed salad, prawn tempura, rice and some fresh sashimi from Sushi Train, plus tortilla chips, guac and a side of Verde or Trezigo sauce from Zambrero.
Then comes the fun part…
Wrap bread becomes the base for a surprisingly good sushi-style wrap: place down some rice as you would in a burrito or sushi roll and top with shredded Chargrill Charlie’s chicken, ribbons of cucumber, avocado slices and the level up: a good lashing of seaweed salad!
Turn Zambrero tortilla chips into a kind of Aus–Mex picnic nacho situation by opening the bag flat, and spreading a few spoonfuls of guacamole, shredded Chargrill Charlie’s chicken and coleslaw. Finish with a drizzle of Trezigo sauce, and suddenly you’ve got a scoopable nacho tray.
Another combination comes together beautifully with a pack of soft taco shells to start. Add tempura prawns from Sushi Train, a little coleslaw from Chargrill Charlie’s, plus avocado and lime from Harris Farm. It ends up fresh, bright and somewhere between a Baja fish taco and a very Marrickville picnic invention.
