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.
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
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 willow basket weavers of the Somerset Levels to the Victorian railway day-trippers, farmworkers paid in cider, and the modern revival of intentional outdoor dining. Gemma's first published print article.
Read the article at greatbritishlife.co.uk
Media Biography
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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.
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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.
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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.
AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON:
The history and culture of the British picnic - from Victorian estates to modern grazing boxes
Picnic etiquette - what still applies, what doesn't, and why it matters
The joy of gathering - the science of connection, belonging and eating together outdoors
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
Why we postpone joy - and how a picnic is the simplest possible antidote
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: @iamgemmaduck
Website: www.gemmaduck.com
Based in: Evercreech, Somerset, UK