A well-stocked store cupboard is hardly the preserve of the committed prepper. Really, it simply means having enough useful, long-lasting food (and a few household essentials) to keep everyone fed, watered and reasonably cheerful should storms, power cuts or supply problems temporarily scupper normal service. And if we never need them? All the better. It’s never a bad thing to have provisions in stock should unexpected visitors descend for an impromptu supper.
The trick lies in buying things you’ll actually want to eat. We’re talking excellent tinned fish and jars of beans to good pasta, tomatoes, crackers, chocolate and that all-important coffee. Consider this, then, The Guide’s guide to stocking up sensibly yet stylishly – and minus a year's supply of baked beans.
Mutti
Italian Peeled Plum Tomatoes, £8
If the gas is working, then we’re likely to be living on tomato pasta. It pays, then, to be working with good source material – and in our humble judgement, we think Mutti is the best.
Peter’s Yard
Original Sourdough Crackers, £2.50
Excellent with cheese, pâté, peanut butter or straight from the packet – and, crucially, no cooking required.
Pip & Nut
Protein Peanut Butter Bars, £4
Protein, energy and something sweet in one handy little bar: precisely the sort of thing worth having around when normal meal times go awry.
Moo
Moo Whole Long Life Milk, £1.50
Because tea without milk during an emergency feels like an indignity too far. Long-life is the obvious standby.
South Downs
Still Natural Mineral Water – Glass Bottle 330ml (Case of 24), £19.61
The least glamorous but most important item on the list: keep enough drinking water to see everyone in the household through a few days.
Ortiz
Brindisa Ortiz Albacore Tuna Fillets In Olive Oil "Bonito del Norte", £8
Good enough to turn a cracker and a few olives into something approaching lunch, and no hob required.
Bold Bean Co
Bold Bean Co. Queen Butter Beans, £3.50
Eat them straight from the jar with a little oil and salt, or add to soups, stews and pasta when cooking is an option.
Sea Sisters
Cornish Sardines with Rosemary and Capers, £9
Another ready-to-eat source of protein, but one sufficiently delicious to make an emergency supper feel less, well, emergency-ish.
Merchant Gourmet
Puy Lentils, £2.15
Already cooked and ready to eat, these are particularly useful: tip into salads, soups or bowls, or dress simply with olive oil and seasoning.
Rude Health
Honey Spelt Puffs, £3.20
Breakfast without the toaster: add long-life milk and you have one meal pleasingly sorted.
Seggiano
Pistachio Pesto, £11
An instant pasta supper, but also delicious spooned onto crackers/beans if the power is off.
Rummo
Pasta Mista No. 74
A store-cupboard non-negotiable. Add tomatoes, pesto or simply good olive oil and salt, and supper is sorted.
Odysea
Greek Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive, £9.99
The quickest route to making almost anything taste better – drizzle over beans, lentils, tinned fish or crackers for an instant upgrade.
Illy
Ground Espresso Intenso Roast Coffee, £7.99
Because some emergencies are considerably easier to contemplate after coffee. Keep a tin of the good stuff in reserve.
Perelló
Gordal Picante Olives, £3.50
If the power goes off, who wouldn’t want to cheer themselves up with a spicy olive?
Tracklements
Fig Relish, £5.10
Delicious with crackers and cheese – aka potential supper in a blackout – but also a great livener upper of tinned things.
Maldon
Sea Salt, £8
Sure, it’s basic. But what would a meal – and indeed life – be without a sprinkling of salt?
Kallo
Stock Cubes, £1.90
Autumn and winter nights would be anathema without a good bowl of warming soup. Chicken, veg or beef, whatever your persuasion, do ensure you have enough of these cubes in to see you through in the ultimate comfort.
Tiptree
Raspberry Seedless Jam, £3.80
Jam sandwiches for lunch? Don’t mind if we do. After all, if you can’t go all Enid Blyton in your culinary tastes in a blackout (or, indeed, adventure if you happen to be a member of the Famous Five), when can you?
Cartwright & Butler
Lemon Shortbread Rounds Tin, £11
We’ll never knock a good old-fashioned Digestive. But we’d also suggest that, during a power outage, unearthing a little luxury in the store cupboard could go quite a long way to reviving flagging spirits.
Pump Street Chocolate
Sourdough & Seasalt, £7.45
Whitehall may not specify Pump Street, but since there are few situations a bite of the good stuff can’t improve, we’d call this a necessary addition.
Del Monte
Peach Slices In Juice, £1.30
Retro they may be, but endlessly useful they also are – ready to eat straight from the tin, spoon over cereal or serve with a little long-life cream for an instant pudding.
What Do I Actually Need?
Before you start panic-buying pasta, relax: the official advice is considerably more measured. The Government recommends keeping enough basic supplies at home to see your household through an emergency lasting a few days – whether a power cut, water outage, severe weather or a situation in which you’re temporarily advised to stay put. And crucially, there’s no instruction to rush out and buy the lot in one go. The Government suggests building up supplies gradually, adding a few things to your normal shop as and when you can. In other words: prepared, not panicked.
Its suggested emergency stash includes:
- Drinking Water – A minimum of 2.5–3 litres per person, per day (with more for cooking, washing, pets, babies or medical needs).
- Food That Doesn’t Need Cooking – Think ready-to-eat tins of fish or meat, beans, fruit and vegetables, plus other long-life foods your household will actually eat. And yes, remember the tin opener.
- A Battery Or Wind-Up Torch – Safer than relying on candles.
- A Portable Power Bank – Kept charged, naturally.
- A Battery Or Wind-Up Radio – Useful for receiving information if electricity, internet or mobile networks are disrupted.
- Spare Batteries And A Basic First-Aid Kit.
- Essential Medication – Enough to keep you going for several days.
- Pet Food, Baby Supplies And Anything Else Specific To Your Household.
- Hand Sanitiser And Wet Wipes – Particularly useful during a water outage.
FAQs: Store Cupboard Staples
How much emergency food should I keep at home?
The Government advises thinking about what your household would need during an emergency lasting a few days. Its 2026 preparedness survey specifically measures whether households have around three days of non-perishable food that doesn't require cooking, making three days a sensible starting point.
What foods are best to stock up on?
Choose long-life foods you already eat, prioritising some that require no cooking at all. Tinned fish, meat, beans, vegetables and fruit are useful, alongside crackers, nut butters, cereal bars and other ready-to-eat foods. Pasta, rice, pulses, tomatoes, stock and sauces are worth keeping too, but remember that they aren't much help during a power cut unless you have another safe means of cooking.
How much water should I store?
Government guidance cites a minimum of around 2.5–3 litres of drinking water per person per day, with more needed for cooking and basic hygiene. Remember to allow extra for pets, babies and particular medical needs.
Do I really need to stockpile food?
No need to panic-buy. The Government specifically recommends building up emergency supplies gradually rather than buying everything at once. Think of it as making your normal store cupboard slightly more resilient, rotating things as you use them so nothing goes to waste.
What should I have in case of a power cut?
As well as food that doesn't need cooking, official guidance recommends a battery or wind-up torch, portable power bank, battery or wind-up radio, spare batteries and basic first-aid supplies. Torches are recommended over candles because they're safer.
What else is easy to forget?
Prescription medication, pet food, baby supplies, sanitary products and any special dietary requirements. A manual tin opener is an unglamorous but rather crucial addition if half your emergency supper is in tins. Government advice also suggests keeping important telephone numbers written down in case you can't simply look them up on your phone.
