UK Specific Picnic/Party food?

While Tim's visiting me, he'll get the chance to attend my family's annual reunion/picnic down at the farm in Maryland. It's a pot luck picnic, so I thought we'd bring something British in origin to share with my family...but short of fish and chips (LOL) I'm really drawing a blank on what to bring.

It's an outdoor picnic, so anything requiring heat is out, and it can't be anything that might fall apart, melt, or get soggy either in the car (3 hour drive with food in a cooler) or sitting out in the baby pool filled with ice we use to keep things cold.  Also, it can't be alcoholic, and it probably shouldn't have dairy in it, either.

Does anyone have any ideas for a main dish, side dish, or dessert we could bring?  We have between 25-40 people on average at the picnic. Recipes, please. And the simpler, the better.  I suppose it's worth mentioning that I'm allergic to onions and garlic, so I can't cook with either, but they're usually easily omittable.  I'm also allergic to Maple, and my mom's allergic to walnuts.  I think that covers most of the food allergies in the family...other than the kid who can't have soy, but his parents pack his own food.

I wanted to get ideas together now, in case I need Tim to bring anything!

Also, does anyone know where I might be able to procure toothpicks with little British flags on them?  I had a mixture of International flags at one point, but if the food we bring will be the kind that can be served on toothpicks, I thought British flag ones would be really cute!

ETA: found flag toothpicks! http://www.unflags.com/minintootfla.html

Pasties?  Pork pies?  Trifle?

scotch eggs, sausage rolls.

banoffee pie?

Pasties?  Pork pies?  Trifle?

I think a trifle would melt, I don't know what a pork pie is (or how to even go about making them), ditto for pasties.

scotch eggs, sausage rolls.

Can you make scotch eggs from scratch?

banoffee pie?

I hadn't thought of that for the picnic, but I had thought of making it while Tim was here since it's his favourite.  I'm not sure that would survive a long car ride plus no refrigeration, though.


Let me clarify...I need actual recipes if you've got 'em, too. 

British "picnics" are fundamentally different.  I think you are going to throw out most of the ideas people suggest because they won't keep or you won't know how to make them.

British "picnics" are fundamentally different.  I think you are going to throw out most of the ideas people suggest because they won't keep or you won't know how to make them.

*nods*  At this point, getting a bunch of cheese, cutting it into cubes, and then using the UK flags might be the easiest option.  I *might* be able to find some British cheese if I check the specialist shops...I found Wensleydale at one of the grocery stores last week!

LOL I suppose I could also make up a pitcher of Ribena. 

*nods*  At this point, getting a bunch of cheese, cutting it into cubes, and then using the UK flags might be the easiest option.  I *might* be able to find some British cheese if I check the specialist shops...I found Wensleydale at one of the grocery stores last week!

LOL I suppose I could also make up a pitcher of Ribena. 

Add some pineapple to the cheese (Cheddar) and it's British   Oh and stick it on a tin foil covered melon to hold them all.

Can Tim bring some Pimms over.  Nothing says British Summer like Pimms!!!

Oh yes. Stacey is absolutely right! Pimms!

But you said no alcohol. Does anyone at the picnic drink? Could you take Ribena for the teetotalers and Pimms for the fun folk? 

Oh yes. Stacey is absolutely right! Pimms!

But you said no alcohol. Does anyone at the picnic drink? Could you take Ribena for the teetotalers and Pimms for the fun folk?  

Opps, missed that.

Pasties are easy, they're just little pies.  Make some pie crust, or buy some ready-made, cut it into circles about 6 inches in diameter, fill them with steak and onions or chicken and veg or whatever you want, really, fold them over to make a little half-moon shape, seal the edges, brush them with egg and bake until they're brown.  I think proper cornish pasties have a hole poked in the center, but I'm not certain.  I'll find a recipe for you if you're interested. 

Pork pie is a cold pie filled with compressed pork.  I think it's awful, but DH and the in-laws love it.  The pasties are probably more American-friendly, TBH. 

Or how about cucumber sandwiches? 

Pasties are dead-easy to make.  I used to make Caribbean-style ones all the time for my lunches .  They really do need onion, though, so is it possible to make some for you without and the rest with?

Scotch eggs are possible to make from scratch, but probably more effort than they're worth.  Sausage rolls are the easiest - just wrap some flavorless pork sausage in puff pastry! :p

Pimms is best suggestion...made up properly with strawberries, fruit, mint and other floating bits in a big pitcher.  You can't get more British than that!!  Tim can bring it over or if you're really lucky you can find it in a large liquor store (my dad has in the past).  It's so low-alcohol that most adults probably wouldn't mind & you could do a pitcher of lemonade with the same bits for kids.

What about scones?  Not very picnicky, but at least it feels British.

I'm really drawing a blank on what to bring.

No booze, no maple, no onions, no garlic, nothing that needs heat, nothing that will go off, no dairy . . .

Hmm, yeah, I'd be drawing a blank, too.

I think the cheese with flags is going to be the solution.

Have Tim bring over a variety of Crisps - all the crazy flavours including twiglets.  No effort and lots of conversation.