A good picnic rug needs to do two things well; be large enough to fit at least two people plus a pizza box, cheese plate or spread of fish and chips; and be durable enough to withstand ketchup, red wine spills, and damp grass. Obviously, if they look cute too, that’s a huge bonus.
This criteria is very familiar to Daisy Clementine, founder of Australian label Peek Neek, for whom picnicking is not just an occasion, but a hobby.
‘Peek Neek is a true representation of my picnic-loving soul,’ she explains. ‘I’ve had a lot of anxiety at points in my life — one phase of which meant I couldn’t sit in cafes or restaurants at all — so picnics have always been a source of safety for me, and I think that could maybe be true for other people, too.’
A concept that feels particularly relevant after the last few years, during which picnics saw a definitive revival.
Daisy’s picnic rugs are designed to be the beautiful backdrop to your most delicious memories. ‘I felt like we were doing our sophisticated sexy snacks a disservice by using the plastic rug we’ve had stuffed in the back of the cupboard for years,’ she says.
But, more than being a stylish solution to a black canvas mat, Peek Neek’s brightly coloured gingham rugs (playfully named after different flavour combinations such as, ‘Pinot and Pavlova’ and ‘Olive and Brie’), are also made from recycled plastic bottles.
‘We tested a lot of different materials when we went through sampling, as I wasn’t set on this R-PET material from the beginning,’ explains Daisy. ‘But, it turned out to be the best possible material for a picnic rug because of its “natural” water resistance, making them almost impossible to stain.’
When it comes to sizing, Daisy knows what picnickers need. Peek Neek’s Thicky Rugs are 140cm by 180cm, meaning they can comfortably fit three to four people (and we hear there are some even bigger Thicky Rugs in the works!).
