Sandwiches, sausage rolls, Scotch eggs, crisps and strawberries laid out on a blanket – a picnic is a staple of the British summer. For the truly devoted, the moment the weather starts to warm up, dinner becomes an endless rotation of “picky bits”.Far from a modern pleasure, picnics can be traced back to medieval times, when nobility and royalty enjoyed open-air feasts during extravagant hunting expeditions. It was the French Revolution, however, that helped bring the picnic to Britain. As French aristocrats fled to London, they brought their “pique-nique” custom with them, and the trend exploded in popularity during the Victorian era.Nowadays, our alfresco dining habits look rather different, with supermarkets catering to increasingly adventurous tastes. This year in particular, picnic aisles are pushing the boat out – think Thai-inspired meats, loaded dips and reinventions of the humble potato salad. Spoiler alert: there's a lot of pesto.To find out what deserves a place in your willow basket this summer, I set out to find the very best supermarket picnic food.Read more: Experts reveal best supermarket rosés perfect for sunny spring daysThis picnic food earns their place on your blanket (Alice Reynolds/The Independent)The best supermarket picnic food for 2026 are:Best overall – Asda the deli pil pil king prawns: £3.24, Asda.comBest budget buy – Aldi spinach and pepper egg bites: £1.99, Aldi.co.ukBest salad – Waitrose summer harissa couscous salad: £3.50, Waitrose.comBest seafood – M&S chargrilled calamari rings: £4, Ocado.comBest sausage rolls – Sainsbury's Taste the Difference 'nduja and parmesan sausage rolls: £4.50, Sainsburys.co.ukRead more: I’ve found the best supermarket butters from Tesco, Asda and more