Picnic baskets are way heavier than Yogi Bear lets on. As I lug mine around, holding one handle while a friend holds the other, it occurs to me that the idea of sitting on lush green grass with a mouth-watering spread around me on a red checkered cloth, is all too familiar. Even though ironically, this is my first one.
Instead of setting off from home, buttering sandwiches and double checking the bottle with watermelon juice for leaks — this day out in the sun has us setting off from Holiday Inn Chennai OMR IT Expressway. The initiative is in line with the brand’s family-friendly concepts, inspiring guests to discover the joy of travel — in this case Semmozhi Poonga Park on Cathedral Road.
Explaining the vision behind it, James Britchford, Vice President Sales & Marketing India, Middle East & Africa, IHG says, “We have been designing various initiatives such as the Little Big Travellers Content Hub, which is a millennial parents’ guide to travel.” As an extension of this concept, Britchford who is based out of UAE adds,“We are reviving the ‘lost art of family picnics,’ where families can reconnect over a beautiful outdoor picnic in parks that are on every child’s bucket list to see and explore.” With nostalgic memories of Enid Blyton’s scones with clotted cream and potted meat sandwiches — it’s time to get started on packing our own picnic basket under the able guidance of chef Satej Saigoankar. It’s a speedy process because a carefully curated lunch of about seven dishes has already been put together for us. Although, the chef does give us a quick crash course on the art of packing a picnic basket before we get to it.
For starters, you don’t want your kathi rolls sitting at the very bottom of the basket or they might get squished. There isn’t a plate in sight because our sandwiches and chaat are packaged in hardy containers that make them easy to access, without the need for cutlery. And the seasonal fruit salad of watermelon and pineapple sits pretty in a transparent cup, instead of a bowl (for better use of space). This leaves us in heady anticipation as we set off by bus to our picnic stop, playing Antakshari en route. Given how long ago we last played it, it was no wonder that the song list went as far back as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and Jamaican Farewell!
Once inside Semmozhi Poonga though, which despite the days getting hotter is quite pleasant at 1 pm (possibly because of trees everywhere) — we potter around in pursuit of the perfect spot. We find one by a seemingly giant old tree, which doubles up as backrest and naturesque Instagram background, before we spread out our pai (coir mat) And then proceed to reward ourselves with sips of a chilled mango smoothie, which turns out to be a healthy concoction of oats, honey, soy milk and yoghurt. The tandoori chicken wraps and chicken and roasted peppers in focaccia, unfortunately, are a let down in comparison. But sprawled on the grass with blue sky above us, we decide to breathe it all in and drop all expectations for a minute, as we look around. One family is getting savvy with a bunch of hula hoops while another large group gears up for a game of tug-of-war. Our phones are put away. It’s a perfect day.
This experience is available on request at Holiday Inn Chennai OMR IT Expressway. The picnic is priced at approximately, Rs 12,500, for a family of four, and will include a delicious picnic basket put together by the chef and venue permissions for each person. Transportation will be provided at an additional cost.
sonali@newindianexpress.com | @brightasunshine