The Larder blog
UK pantry cooking: easy meals from store-cupboard staples
The cheapest, fastest dinners are usually already in the house. Here's how to stock a British store cupboard and turn it into proper meals — no last-minute dash to the shops.
The staples worth keeping
A good pantry isn't big — it's versatile. These are the things that earn their shelf space in a UK kitchen:
Tins
chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, baked beans, coconut milk, tuna
Dry goods
rice, pasta, red lentils, flour, oats
Jars & bottles
stock cubes, soy sauce, curry paste, olive oil, vinegar
Long-life veg
onions, potatoes, carrots, garlic
Freezer
peas, sweetcorn, bread
Four ways to think about it
Tinned tomatoes are a whole dinner
A tin of chopped tomatoes plus an onion and garlic is the base of shakshuka, chana masala, a quick pasta sauce or a smoky bean chilli. If your cupboard has tomatoes and a tin of beans or chickpeas, dinner is fifteen minutes away.
Lentils stretch everything
Red lentils cook in twenty minutes with no soaking and turn a tin of tomatoes and a spoonful of curry paste into a proper dhal-style soup. They also bulk out a bolognese or shepherd's pie so a small amount of mince feeds more people.
Eggs are the standby protein
A frittata or omelette uses up the odd potato, pepper or handful of cheese. Huevos rancheros and egg fried rice are both cupboard meals at heart — rice, eggs, soy sauce and whatever veg is left over.
The Sunday roast mentality, midweek
British cooking has always been about making a few ingredients go far: bangers and mash, beans on toast, a baked potato loaded with what's in the fridge. Plan one 'cupboard night' a week and the food shop shrinks noticeably.
Put it into practice
The Larder is built around exactly this idea. Tell it what's in your cupboard and it shows you the dishes you can make right now — or start with something quick.