Barrel is the name and, usefully, also the shape. Where most picnic baskets are flat topped rectangles, this one curves, and on a blanket in a park that difference reads as a piece of luggage rather than a lunch container. That sounds like a small thing right up until you have carried a picnic basket through a crowd and noticed that people look. A picnic basket is one of those purchases that either lives at the back of a closet forever or quietly changes how you spend Saturdays, and the deciding factor is almost always whether it is handsome enough that you want to bring it out. This one clears that bar, which is why a picnic basket set works so well as a romantic picnic basket for two, an anniversary present, or a wedding gift basket that gets used long after the registry closes. Bring it to the park, the beach, the lawn seats at a concert, or a Tuesday when the kitchen feels small.
How do you pack a picnic basket?
Heavier and breakable items go in first at the bottom, with lighter food packed on top so it is not crushed. Fitted picnic baskets hold plates, flatware, and glassware in straps along the lid, which keeps the main compartment free for food.
