Add bread and drink and go for it.Hunter's of Helmsley, 13 Market Place, Helmsley, North Yorkshire (01439 771307) Daily 8am-5.30pm (7pm half-term and summer holidays). Famous for its game pies (this is Yorkshire shooting country, though all is quiet on that front until the grouse get it in the neck in August). Pick up salamis and cold meats, pies and any of the 72 cheeses, bread, olives and possibly a pot of coleslaw or potato salad The ice cream, sold in cones and tubs, is another draw. They'll provide paper plates, chilled wine, beers, lager and juices.Jenny's Deli, 3 Park Street, Minehead, Somerset (01643 702843) Mon-Sat 8.30am-5pm (closed bank holidays). Related to the town's family butcher and fishmonger, this long-established deli is taking part in Edible Exmoor, a local food festival aiming to encourage visitors back to the area. Order the day before and they'll pack a hamper, including china, cutlery and picnic rug on loan with the £60 luxury basket for four.
This includes cold meats, baguettes, salads, pork pies, fruit and cream, tea and coffee. There's a more modest selection at £26 for four and the bargain Exmoor picnic is £18 for four.Villandry, 170 Great Portland Street, London W1 (020-7631 3131) Mon-Sat 8.30am-10pm, Sun 11am-4pm (closed bank holidays). Near Regent's Park, this New York-style food store has hampers to order from around £30 per person (nobody said eating like a Wall Street analyst comes cheap). Pick and mix from courses such as salmon with a mustard and breadcrumb crust, fennel, potato, tapenade and goat's cheese salad, and fruit tart. The Hyde Park hamper, at £40 plus VAT, includes half a bottle of champagne or wine..
All beer-lovers know that wheat adds a quenching edge that cannot be matched by barley-malt alone. So if wheat makes the more refreshing brew, why are most beers made from barley? One reason is that not all beer is intended as a summer quencher. Another is that wheat tends to block the brewing vessels, while barley's fuller husk acts as a natural filter bed. Wheat beers were typically more hazy ("white") than barley brews in the days before filtration techniques were invented.
