AN African safari and a posh picnic in a sunny vineyard provided the inspiration for a Frogham couple to start a new business.

Nigel and Christine Owen’s Walking Picnics will take people on a two-hour guided walk in beautiful and quiet areas of the New Forest, at the end of which a specially made picnic will be waiting.

The Owens wanted to combine their love of the forest and good homemade food for their new venture.

Mr Owen is a qualified walk leader and has a good knowledge of the wildlife of the forest, especially the birds, and loves introducing people to nature.

Mrs Owen bakes bread, cakes, biscuits, pies and quiches using seasonal and local ingredients as much as possible.

The picnics will be presented using proper cutlery and all packaging will be reusable to reduce waste.

Walks, in groups of up to 12, will be taking place every Tuesday and Saturday from April 1 and cost £14 per adult and £8 for eight to 15 year olds (free for under eights). There will also be winter walks, called Souper Walks, where the walk ends with a mug of homemade soup and bread. These are running for half term on February 16 and 19 costing £10 and £5.

Mrs Owen said: “We had the idea for Walking Picnics after enjoying a fabulous picnic in South Africa and the snacks while on safari game drives. We think the New Forest has loads of wonderful wildlife to see but many people are unsure about where to walk and afraid of getting lost. We will take you deep into the forest where you can work up an appetite, and give you a tasty picnic at the end.”

For more information, dates of walks and to book a place see walkingpicnics.co.uk or email walkingpicnics@aol.com.