Days out at sea on a perfect Maltese spring day spell the ultimate in freedom and relaxation. As for the question of food, Ramona Depares discovers that sailing picnics don’t necessarily need to be primitive.
Used to be a time when a day out at sea, whether on a yacht or a lanċa, signified a truckload of ħobż biż-żejt, a bagful of crisps and water crackers and – if you were particularly lucky – an ice-cream from the ice-cream boat doing the rounds at the popular bays.
Quite primitive, and hardly an acceptable solution for serious foodies who figure that a good chunk of the fun on a sailing trip includes some seriously delicious nosh.
The good news is that nowadays, with the advent of gourmet picnics, you and your guests can be enjoying some lovely goose pâté served the proper way before you can say “Ahoy! Skipper”.
Which is where Sarah Borg, who runs food store The White Sheep together with her sister Tania Attard, comes in. Of course, describing The White Sheep as a mere ‘food store’ would be akin to calling the Jaguar a vehicle and leaving it at that. The White Sheep is much more, specialising in an eclectic mix of quality, artisanal foods from all over Europe, while also featuring a deli area with artisanal charcuterie and farmhouse cheeses.
In short, it’s the perfect place for those who would not like to leave their love of good food on shore, while they sail off into the sunset. The White Sheep, in fact, is know for being one of the handful of places in Malta that offers picnics created specifically with the exisgencies of being out at sea in mind.
“We decided to start offering this service when we realised that our range of specialised, artisan foods that includesfarmhouse cheeses, smoked fish and charcuterie provide the perfect ingredients for all types of hampers, all year round. Some people think that a hamper is about alcohol, biscuits and chocolates... this is definitely not the case. And it’s not limited to Christmas-time either, as the popularity of our sailing hampers has shown.”
The White Sheep creates all sorts of hampers, with the sailing picnic ones being highly popular throughout the sailing season which, let’s face it, given Malta’s weather is practically all year round bar a couple of months. These picnic hampers are always freshly prepared .
Equally popular choices are those items that are ideal for sharing,from dips to nuts, pâtés, plattersand the like
The service, Sarah says, was a very natural progression given the demand from regular patrons.
“Eating on board is great fun in so many ways. You’re relaxed, probably somewhere with a stunning setting out at sea, usually with friends... People are not in working mode, so to speak, so they tend to plan on offering foods that are easier to prepare.”
Equally popular choices are those items that are ideal for sharing, from dips to nuts, pâté, platters and the like. While out at sea, people do not keep to fixed eating times, such as lunch or supper. With some people swimming, others sunbathing, others still snorkelling.... things are more informal and boat guests typically prefer to snack throughout the day while mingling, rather than having one main meal.
“The main idea behind being out at sea is that you get to enjoy yourself on deck and in the water, as opposed to slaving away in the galley,” Sarah says with a smile.
The picnic suggestions depend on the nature and timing of the boating trip.
For an afternoon or a day out at sea, Sarah and Tania will prepare fresh food hampers for clients who wish to simply enjoy the day without having to cook or prepare any food.
“Naturally, we tend to avoid heavier foods, sticking to lighter, easy-to-digest items. Patrons usually show a preference for salads, cheese and cured meat platters. Summery dips, nuts, dukkah (an Egyptian spice mix) with olive oil, sandwiches, pâtés and crackers. Fresh bakes, such as savoury tarts or individual portions of baked pasta, are also popular, together with biscuits, teas and coffees for teatime.
These items are really popular, mainly because they’re easy to serve and can be eaten at any time of the day, even served at room temperature.
They also provide fun and easy snacking, that is just made to share.”
Of course, when it comes to weekends – or even weeks or months – out at sea, some really good planning is required.
Although picnic baskets aren’t suitable for the purpose, regular clients have now got into the habit of consulting Sarah and Tania over which food best suits long-term sailing requirements.
“Long-term sailors purchase all kinds of food, as one would at home. Their choices depend very much on their regular diet, but it is safe to assume that there will be a leaning towards pasta, rice and sauces, smoked fish, cured meats, cheeses, foie gras and pâtés...
“The list is rather endless, but when clients, or indeed their chefs, plan for longer yachting trips, they obviously bear in mind the food storage space on their yachts and that meals are light, and quick and easy to prepare. We assist as required,” Sarah continues.
The White Sheep’s picnic service is what Sarah describes as “very bespoke”.
Some clients know exactly what they want. They show up with a list and Sarah and Tania will simply prepare everything for them, from fresh foods, to dry foods, to wines and drinks. The client then picks up the picnic basket at an agreed time.
Other clients prefer a measure of consultation; they phone in, discuss and prepare menus, and once everything is finalised, The White Sheep executes.
“From the customer point of view it’s pretty simple. They phone in with their query, and leave it up to us to do the rest!
A delivery service is also available, but please do keep in mind that, depending on the size of the order, we do require a minimum of 24-hour notice,” she explains.