A Chalet Soirée in the Somerset Cold

Winter picnics get an unfair reputation.

Too cold. Too damp. Best left until May.

But January picnics, done properly, are some of the most memorable of all.

They’re not about bare grass and frozen fingers. They’re about flasks, layers, proper cheese, and that quietly smug feeling of being outdoors when everyone else says, “Oh no, not in this weather.”

This January Picnicscape was a Chalet Soirée - a celebration of winter done warmly, with snow very much optional.

The January Mood: Chalet, but Make It British

After years of collecting vintage skis, sleighs and skates, they finally had their moment. Not because they were perfect or pristine, but because they felt right - a little Alpine, a little nostalgic, and exactly what January calls for.

The brief was simple:

• Cosy rather than clever

• Layered rather than styled

• Practical, but with a remember-this-forever feeling

Think damp grass underfoot, cold noses, and something hot poured from a flask while you laugh about whether this was a very good idea (spoiler: it was).

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What Was on the Blanket

This picnic wasn’t fussy - winter picnics never should be.

The layers mattered just as much as the food. Sheepskin rugs, gloves, a proper pouffe — all generously lent by Draper of Glastonbury, whose pieces are made for exactly this kind of cold-weather lingering.

On the board, a generous selection from Godminster - my go-to for picnics because their cheeses hold their own outdoors and always feel a little celebratory. Add good bread, and something sparkling from Future Chateau to mark the occasion. The kind of spread that doesn’t wilt in the cold and doesn’t need constant attention.

The real hero, though, was heat.

A flask filled with homemade hot cheese soup - rich, comforting, and exactly what January picnics call for. I’ve shared the full recipe separately, because it deserves a life of its own:

→ Cheese Soup for the Flask (Recipe) If you prefer to see it poured, stirred and packed, there’s also a short recipe reel over on Instagram here.

Hot food changes everything outdoors in winter. It turns a “bracing outing” into an experience people talk about weeks later.

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The Winter Picnic Kit (Save This)

If you only remember one thing about winter picnicking, let it be this: comfort is the etiquette.

Here’s the kit that makes it work:

• A waterproof layer under your blanket (non-negotiable)

• All the layers for you: hat, gloves, and spare socks

• Keep food simple: great cheese, good bread, something sweet

• Pack heat: soup or hot chocolate in a flask

• A couple of chairs to get you off the damp ground

• Go early afternoon - the warmest light, with daylight to spare

• Style lightly for everyday . . . or go full chalet for a special moment

• Leave no trace. Always take your rubbish home.

Nothing here is complicated. That’s the point.

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Why Winter Picnics Are Worth It

There’s something quietly powerful about choosing to gather in January.

It says:

• We don’t need perfect weather to be together

• We’re not waiting for life to be easier

• We’re allowed to enjoy things now

Winter picnics feel earned. They’re slower, warmer, and oddly more intimate than their summer cousins. You talk more. You linger differently. You remember them.

And if there happens to be snow? Lovely.

If not? Still magic.

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A January Note on Joy

January doesn’t need reinvention.

It needs permission.

Permission to go gently. To use the good things. To gather without fanfare. To step outside with a flask and come home glowing.

This Picnicscape wasn’t about proving winter picnics are possible.

It was about showing they can be wonderful.

This Picnicscape sat quietly alongside my January Joyful Almanac - a reminder that joy doesn’t need reinvention this month, just permission. To go gently. To use the good things. To step outside even when it would be easier not to.

See the Chalet Soirée Come Together

I shared the Picnicscape first over on Instagram — the layers, the laughter, the inevitable cold fingers — if you’d like to see how it all came together in real time, you can view the carousel here.

If you’d like to save this for later, share it with your picnic-brave friend, or plan your own winter gathering - do. And if you try the cheese soup, I’d love to know where you pour it.

With love, Gemma x

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Stay a while . . .