Food and holidays – the two are a marriage made in heaven!
With more time to relax and unwind, the pleasure of eating tends to take on greater depth. No sandwiches gobbled down in haste, no plastic salads in plastic pots eaten with a plastic fork. Rather you have the time to anticipate a delicious meal eaten in a relaxed atmosphere with those you love.
As well as the pleasure of eating out, preparing simple meals in your holiday home can also be an integral part of the holiday. Planning what to eat on holiday can be part of the excitement, and whether you are looking for campsite cooking ideas or caravan cooking ideas, we can give you a rundown of some of the favourites that we have encountered over the years by our regular holiday makers in our many different holiday parks.
All our holiday homes are fitted with small, fitted kitchens which have more than enough facilities to make your favourite holiday food.
You can’t beat a cooked breakfast
There’s something innately British about waking up to the smell of frying bacon. In fact, frying up some sausages and bacon in a frying pan over a portable gas camping stove is as close to classic British campsite cooking as you can possibly get. Even if you’re in a static caravan, there’s nothing to stop you from frying your breakfast barbecue-like to really get into the swing of your holiday.
Having greater control over your diet
Alternatively, being in control of your own kitchen also means that you can still stick to a healthy eating regime even when you are still on holiday. Thinking about what to eat on holiday is not just about fast food and candy floss but also about recuperating from the stress of everyday life, and improving your diet and exercise is part of that.
Creating a structure for relaxation
When you’re on holiday, you can get into a rhythm that carries you through the day – a rhythm that is completely different to your normal working day and routine. Renting a private caravan gives you the freedom to create your own rhythm in the privacy of your own space.
Gently gliding from breakfast to lunch to dinner - a gentle structure that gives you space to breathe - can help you relax into your holiday.
For many, cooking is a form of relaxation in itself. For others, it gives a sense of purpose. Preparing a meal without the urgency and obligation of every day creates a different atmosphere and can be a coming together of the family and an opportunity to sit down and engage on a deeper level.
Keep it simple – or not
Cooking in the small, fitted kitchen of a caravan is an opportunity to keep it simple with a favourite recipe. For many of our residents and regular holidaymakers, a simple chicken curry recipe seems to be one of the most popular dishes. There is something wholesome and familiar about a home-cooked chicken curry; it is relatively cheap and easy to prepare and is a favourite with everyone.
Of course, if you have ambitions to be the next Jamie Oliver, there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t give yourself the time and space to be a little bit more experimental. If you’re not careful, the smells emanating from your caravan may well entice your neighbours out to enjoy a pre-prandial snifter on your decking.
An opportunity to experiment
Being in a different environment also gives you the freedom from the routine of sticking to the same old tried and tested foods and experimenting with different tastes and cuisines. Enlist all members of your family to be in charge for one night each. So, they are in charge of the shopping, preparation, cooking and clearing up afterwards. That way, you all get some time off to relax.
Whatever your preferences – just relax!
Whatever your favourite holiday food, there are no limits to what you can enjoy when spending time at your own speed, in your own space. The great thing about spending time on a holiday park is that you have the choice of both.
If you wake up one morning and decide that you have no desire at all to cook, then the facilities on site mean you can eat and drink to your fill at the clubhouse. If you decide that you want to enjoy a day of peace and solitude in your own space, then you have everything you need within your own four walls.
