Product Review: The Willow Picnic Basket

The perfect accessory for a relaxing day in the yard, a casual walk in the woods, or a cool day on the beach, a picnic basket adds a sense of refined excitement and comfortable leisure to an already tranquil setting. Simple in design but large on function, picnic baskets can serve as the complete kit to an outdoor adventure, capable of carrying not just food and eating accessories, but also bug spray, suntan oil, books and magazines, and any other accompaniments you desire.

Of course, size of the picnic basket is an important factor. Do you intend to feed a family, or is your heart set on a simple romantic lunch or sunset dinner near the still waters of a serene lake?

For my wife and I, fun and romance was a winning combination that the picnic basket easily delivers. We purchased the Willow Picnic Basket, the very image of what a proper picnic basket should look like. Built with a fine, sturdy willow construction, and a red & white checkered plush interior, it evokes images of traditional picnic settings on grassy hills under shady trees, where young maidens lounge casually, and gentlemen pour a glass of wine for their betrothed.

Daydreaming aside, the Willow Picnic Basket offers functionality as well as fantasy, providing perfect service for two in a compact, convenient form. Affixed to the interior of the lid are two sets of silverware, two plates, and the ever-purposeful corkscrew/bottle opener. Set into the basket itself is a small willow box which protectively holds two glasses, ideal for wine but of course suitable for any beverage.

Elegant and stylish, you can pack the Willow Picnic Basket with just the basics – a bottle of wine, some cheese and fruit. Or, you can fill it to its large capacity, as my wife and I often do. A bottle of wine, some water and soda, sandwiches, snacks, fruit, and other small essentials all sit neatly within the picnic basket.

Shut and sealed, the picnic basket is easily carried along by a thick leather strap, comfortable on the hand. We’ve enjoyed the Willow Picnic Basket thoroughly, perched upon a grassy knoll, on bluffs overlooking the beach. At picnic tables set close to a lake populated with ducks. And under the comforting shade of a tree, in the center of a large clearing in a park.

Half the fun of the Willow Picnic Basket is simply filling it with goodies, and basking in the delightful anticipation of unique outdoor luncheons, equally exciting and romantic.

The Willow Picnic Basket was originally purchased at Pier One, but can likely also be found at Amazon.com and other stores, and similar styles are readily available. But I am quite happy with this spontaneous purchase, and it has added an extra thrill to casual summer weekends.