“People who want to have a picnic aren’t likely to be scallywags,” Natalie Thomas tells me of the kind of clientele that The Sydney Picnic Co. has acquired, one which she relies upon for the safe return of her wicker hampers.
Since bringing their idea to fruition just 2 years ago, British couple Natalie and Si Thomas have built up a following for their postcard-perfect picnic experiences across the city.
An appreciation for the personal and handmade is a trend that has been on the rise for some time, whether its intimate dining experiences or products with provenance, consumers are saving their spending for something special.
The Sydney Picnic Company operates with an emphasis on experience as a whole, which Natalie instils with the eye of a stylist down to the smallest details, while Simon crafts country terrines and chocolate pots in their Woollahra kitchen.
Simon had been working for fine food purveyor Simon Johnson and Natalie, a creative ad agency, where would colleagues would enviously eye-up their carefully constructed pack lunches.
Business began “without much planning” when the pair packed in their day jobs to deliver sandwiches and salads to the creative office circuit in Surry Hills.
The personal picnic service was a natural extension for the pair, who began sourcing wicker hampers, sewing napkins and baking batches of homemade Valrhona brownies for their various picnics, which range from the English-themed Brit Pic through to a Spanish feast.
The packages have proved a popular treat for the “couple who have everything”, as well as engaging the imagination of the proposal market, which has seen Natalie scribing intimate messages from lovers to tuck inside the hampers.
Thanks to this creative pair, there’s no excuse for soggy salads and pre-packaged dips on your next al fresco lunch. Now if they could just do something about the weather…
The Sydney Picnic Co.
sydneypicnic.com.au