Have your cake and shoot it

French artists have appropriated alfresco dining ever since Édouard Manet scandalised Paris with his Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe , yet many charming scenes were painted in Britain, too, and are worth rediscovering, says Deborah Nicholls-Lee

“ The best picnics aren’t ambitious, they’re thoughtful” ...

There’s nothing quite like packing up a delicious feast and heading outside to graze. But all those ‘picky bits’ can easily see you ramping up your calorie intake without realising it. Think you know

enjoy a shellfish feast on the Norfolk marshes ...

When everything comes together, there’s no better feeling, as Michael Topham experienced in Croatia

■ Serves 6 ■ Prep 10 mins plus 2 hrs marinating ■ Cook 1 hr 6 skinless chicken drumsticks and6 skinless chicken thighs1 lime, zested and juiced2 lemongrass sticks,roughly chopped2 thumb-sized chunks o