Words, photographs, and a deep love of eating outdoors.

If you're a journalist, editor, podcast producer or broadcaster looking for a Somerset voice on picnics, outdoor entertaining and the quietly radical act of gathering - you're in the right place.

A close-up of a woman with long blonde hair, wearing a white top, standing indoors with framed floral artwork on the wall behind her.

There's a photograph somewhere of a small girl under a very large oak tree, surrounded by imaginary picnic guests and a very real determination to make the occasion feel special.

That girl grew up, but remained in Somerset, had four children, picked up a camera, and somewhere between the muddy boots and the apple orchards and the village fêtes, realised that she'd never actually stopped picnicking. She'd just got better at it.

In early 2025, Gemma Duck - now known as The Duchess of Picnics - published her first article in Somerset Life Magazine. A piece about the history of picnicking in Somerset: the Victorian willow basket weavers of the Levels, the farmworkers paid in cider, the railway day-trippers heading to Cheddar Gorge with their scotch eggs and fruit loaves.

It was equal parts history lesson, love letter to Somerset, and quiet manifesto: that a picnic is never just a picnic. It is a moment stolen from the rush. A deliberate pause. An excuse to sit a little longer, sip a little slower, and let the world carry on while you savour what's in front of you.

That piece went into print. Gemma may or may not have done a happy dance in Morrisons, Wells.

It was, as she put it, a full-circle moment. From imaginary picnics under an oak tree to seeing her words in print. And it was, quietly, just the beginning.

In print and online

Cover of Somerset Life magazine featuring a scenic harbor with sailboats, green hills, and houses, with headlines about local events and stories, including 'The Salt Path' and a competition for a luxury staycation.

Somerset Life - Feature Article

Everything You Need to Know About Picnics in Somerset

Somerset Life Magazine, 2025 - written and photographed by Gemma Duck

An exploration of Somerset's rich picnicking heritage — from the Victorian willow basket weavers of the Somerset Levels, to the farmworkers paid in cider, to the Edwardian families who packed their scotch eggs and hopped on the train to Cheddar Gorge. Celebrated as a love letter to Somerset.

Read the article at greatbritishlife.co.uk

What Gemma says - ready to use

Five quotable lines, pre-packaged for editorial use. These work as pull quotes, expert comment, or article openers.

"The grass isn't always greener. Sometimes it's just damp. And that is exactly when you lay the blanket."

"A picnic removes the scaffolding of modern socialising. What's left is just the people, and that turns out to be exactly enough."

"We spend nearly half our lives somewhere other than where we actually are. A picnic, it turns out, is a surprisingly effective cure for that."

"The best gatherings look like nobody tried. Somebody always did."

"I'm not waiting for the right weather, the right occasion, the right version of circumstances. I'm taking what's available right now — and I am going to be fully here for it."

Media Biography

A young girl wearing a pink dress and smiling outside, holding a large straw hat with a black band over her face, with green trees and cloudy sky in the background.

  • Gemma Duck is a Somerset-based picnic expert, outdoor entertaining writer and photographer, known as The Duchess of Picnics. She writes about al fresco dining, seasonal living and the joy of gathering outdoors - most recently in Somerset Life Magazine. She lives in Evercreech with her four children, a basket collection, and an unreasonable number of gingham tablecloths.

  • Gemma Duck is a Somerset-based picnic expert, outdoor entertaining writer and photographer. Known as The Duchess of Picnics, she creates seasonal lifestyle content rooted in British countryside life - from picnic history and etiquette to al fresco recipes, joy research and the art of gathering beautifully without making it another job.

    Her writing has appeared in Somerset Life Magazine, where she explored the rich heritage of picnicking in Somerset - from the willow basket weavers of the Levels to the Victorian railway day-trippers heading to Cheddar Gorge. She lives in Evercreech with her four children and believes, quite firmly, that a good picnic can fix most things.

  • Gemma Duck is a Somerset-based picnic expert, outdoor entertaining writer, lifestyle photographer and the founder of The Duchess of Picnics - a platform celebrating seasonal living, joyful gathering and the quietly radical idea that eating outdoors is one of the best things a person can do.

    Through her website, newsletter and social platforms, Gemma writes about the art and history of picnicking, science-backed approaches to joy and connection, seasonal recipes and the beauty of gathering without performance or pressure. Her work is rooted in the Somerset countryside she loves - apple orchards, rolling hills, farm shops, and the particular quality of light on a late afternoon in May.

    Her writing has appeared in Somerset Life Magazine, where she brought to life the rich and largely untold history of picnicking in Somerset - from the Victorian willow basket weavers of the Somerset Levels, to the farmworkers paid in cider, to the Edwardian families who packed their scotch eggs and hopped on the train to Cheddar Gorge. The piece was celebrated as a love letter to Somerset and her first foray into print writing.

    Gemma lives in Evercreech, Somerset, with her four children, a vintage basket collection and an unreasonable love of gingham. She is available for features, expert comment, podcast appearances, brand partnerships and writing commissions.

A woman standing casually outdoors in front of a blooming white flower bush, wearing a pink sweater, dark jeans, and tan shoes, smiling with closed eyes.
Woman smiling in floral dress standing in front of white wooden gate with pink bougainvillea flowers overhead.

AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON:

  • The history and culture of the British picnic — from ancient Egypt to the present day

  • The joy of gathering — the science of connection, belonging, and eating together outdoors

  • Why we've stopped having people round — and what it's costing us

  • The loneliness epidemic and the case for intentional gathering

  • Seasonal living and al fresco entertaining in the British countryside

  • Somerset food, drink, producers and local heritage

  • Simple outdoor hosting for real life — beautiful without the pressure

  • The sustainable picnic — foraging, farm shops, enamelware over plastic

  • Picnic etiquette — what still applies, what doesn't, and why it matters

  • Why we postpone joy — and how a picnic is the simplest possible antidote

A woman sitting on the grass in front of a garden with colorful flowers and a brick wall, smiling and enjoying the outdoors.
A woman with long blonde hair, wearing a yellow floral top, smiling while lying on green grass near a stone wall, holding hands with someone dressed in pink.

Warm, knowledgeable, and genuinely funny about damp grass.

Gemma brings warmth, wit and genuine expertise to every conversation. She is equally at home talking about the history of the Victorian picnic hamper and sharing the science behind why gathering outdoors makes us measurably happier. She speaks in plain English, never lectures, and has a Somerset storyteller's instinct for finding the human detail in any subject.

She is punctual, prepared, and will almost certainly reference gingham at least once.

Get in touch

For interview requests, feature enquiries, expert comment or to request a media kit, please get in touch directly. I aim to respond to press enquiries within 24 hours.

Email: hello@gemmaduck.com

Instagram: @gemmaduck_

Website: www.gemmaduck.com

Based in: Evercreech, Somerset, UK