The Speakcheesey

Catering to all of your cheese needs, the Speakcheesey opened on Fossgate back in July. This tasty new venture from the owners of Love Cheese is described as ‘a modern spin on the deli’. It boasts a cosy space in which to indulge in toasties, cheese platters and drinks, along with shelves filled with delicious goodies to take away and enjoy. The Speakcheesey has a revolving selection of 20 different cheeses that are detailed with handy tasting notes on its ‘cheese board’. These can be wrapped to go and paired with packaged nibbles such as olives, pickles, crackers, crisps and nuts – all perfect for a picnic.

The Savvy Baker

This cafe on Swinegate is just the place for those with a sweet tooth. The Savvy Baker is known for its ever-changing range of gooey brownies and blondies, as well as its Insta-worthy drinks cups, which are decorated with cute slogans. This summer, its specials include a cookie with pistachio and vanilla cream, a millionaire brownie and the ‘Kinderella’ – a dreamy, Kinder-inspired blondie with white hazelnut cream and Nutella. You can get all of these in a box to go, accompanied by drinks like a caramelised brown butter latte or strawberry iced matcha with pink cloud foam.

The Pig & Pastry

Sitting among the independents on Bishopthorpe Road, The Pig & Pastry is a neighbourhood cafe that’s full of character. Alongside its highly-rated breakfasts, The Pig serves hearty sandwiches and toasties to take away. Some of these are prepared using its homemade bread while others are served on Haxby Bakehouse sourdough. The Pig’s current menu features toasties such as the tempting Reuben – filled with pastrami beef, sauerkraut, cheese and Russian dressing – or ‘Rory Motion’ with herby shrooms, onion marmalade, cheddar and sweet chilli. Its sandwiches include ‘The Big Squeak’ with chilli and halloumi or ‘The Hip-Hop-A-Pot-Hummus’, stuffed with hummus, grilled peppers, marinated tofu, harissa and rocket.

Drake’s

When it comes to al fresco treats, fish and chips are always a classic. In York, you can find them on Low Petergate at Drake’s, a family-owned fish and chip shop that’s been going for fifteen years. Drake’s fish are cooked the traditional Yorkshire way, fried to perfection in British-reared beef dripping. Their other ingredients are sourced locally, too – their potatoes are grown in Yorkshire, their tartare sauce is homemade and, for those that don’t fancy fish, there are pies from Knavesmire butchers. If you’re planning a picnic, the shop offers meal deals that come with fish or a battered sausage, chips and a can of your choosing.

Where to eat:

The Museum Gardens

The gardens that surround the Yorkshire Museum provide a nature-filled retreat for those that want to take a break from the bustle of the city. They have both open and shaded grassy areas, broken up with an impressive variety of trees, shrubs, and flowering bulbs in the springtime. Nestled among these are the romantic medieval ruins of St Mary’s Abbey and its surviving Hospitium, which is still used as a venue today. The gardens sit by Ouse close to Lendal Bridge, providing many different kinds of picnic spot.

On the banks of the River Ouse

The riverside itself is another peaceful location for those who’d like to eat outdoors. There are plenty of scenic picnic sites to be discovered as you follow the Ouse through York, watching the passing boats as you go. These include the Boat Yard in Bishopthorpe, the Millennium Fields and the area surrounding the Millenium Bridge, where you can get dessert from the Two Hoots ice cream boat.

In Rowntree Park

Rowntree Park is an expansive, 20-acre green space with leisure activities to suit all ages. A gift to the city from the Rowntree company, the park was created in the 1920s to remember its Cocoa Works employees who died during the First World War. Nowadays, the park has sports courts and bowling greens, a skate park, table tennis and two play areas. There are also toilets plus an ornamental lake, which is popular with model boat enthusiasts as well as those who want to feed the ducks.