Eating outside does not have to involve PB & J sandwiches squished in the bottom of a backpack! A picnic can reach astounding levels of elegance and fun. Scroll down for simple suggestions on how to up-level your next picnic. Don’t feel like a DIY moment? That’s where Lowell-based Rare Affairz comes in.
A few months ago Dacia Benjamin didn’t sleep much the night she made 400 waffles for one of the first brunches by Rare Affairz, the picnic and catering company owned by Benjamin and her partner Anna Mairosi.
“We cultivate intimate events for anywhere from two people to 200,” says Benjamin, “but our most popular are picnics.”
Benjamin, born in Guyana and raised in Antigua, came to Andover to earn her degree in business management from UMass Lowell. “I am a serial entrepreneur. I’ve worked in hospitality, event planning and promotion management.” Her partner, born in Zimbabwe, has been a caterer specializing in African and Caribbean dishes for six years. She has since widened her range of dishes.
And that team has developed a unique picnic plan.
“A client can do everything online and then just show up in a park or backyard or even the living room,” explains Benjamin.
Centered in Lowell, the company creates picnics for Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut.
Sip n’ Paint at your picnic?
You can choose a Picnic for 2, picnic for 4, or a “You Pic Nic,” with customized menu and décor. A picnic for 4 includes a decorated picnic table, blankets and assorted seating pillows, florals, candles, flatware, napkins, placemats, wine glasses, water, hand sanitizer and a personalized letter board that might say “Happy birthday, sweetheart.”
Other add-ons are a balloon garland, fresh flowers, game station rental, Sip n Paint party for 4, Tee-Pee tent rental.
You select the food to be served and how it’s presented: custom charcuterie, a brunch box or grazing boxes or boards with artfully arranged cold meats, cheeses, savory pastries, fruits and vegetables. The box picnics and outdoor dining follow a pandemic response policy that allows for distancing.
Why are picnics so popular suddenly? Benjamin answers, “Covid has brought a lifestyle change. People have to enjoy even something like quarantine. And an elegant private picnic under a pole tent with candles and flowers can do that.”
Contact Rare Affairz at their website https://www.rareaffairz.com/ or send an email to rareaffairzevents@gmail.com.
TIPS TO ELEVATE YOUR NEXT PICNIC
- A plastic tarp (shower curtain or table cloth) to lay under your picnic blanket to protect you further from a wet or bumpy ground.
- Cushions to sit on.
- A game like portable corn hole or Jenga.
- Bluetooth speakers to connect to your phone for soft music, or dancing tunes for the little ones. Maybe even a portable sound machine with running water!
- A portable pop-up mini table to raise food off the ground level.
Hungry for more outdoor dining ideas? Be on the lookout for our Greater Derry Outdoor Dining & Picnic Guide for more information on the best spots to eat outdoors!
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