www.specialityfoodmagazine.com Open in urlscan Pro
82.136.32.49  Public Scan

Form analysis
3 forms found in the DOM

POST https://www.specialityfoodmagazine.com/

<form method="post" action="https://www.specialityfoodmagazine.com/">
  <div class="hiddenFields">
    <input type="hidden" name="ACT" value="19">
    <input type="hidden" name="RES" value="10">
    <input type="hidden" name="meta"
      value="USn63iUlhm7zWnOwnMbplMiwFmZS3eXWqkPTzCeJvCGqq5YvReKsXEWgNAZctfbTnPTYQ4/u9Oqgrsftnlb9GtTlgt1jg3mFEvfUdcLimQPUQvU1dMtZ8CR/FRrUf+UKOaj4qSWXM8DBJM0/Lu1AGnOL98D+zQFMIgz44VjkVUx4zf1bAN4bifX8gh2bgmGtD3C+1F6iuZLl+64s9HnceAHLuexvqAoYu4GeM1z4y2ZPr7dbSe1OQ91M/MO5oEjR1zl5i9Ao581XZ9L9wHgkta6FbEeixWuYcZ3Idrpkn3CekKe1np5mCVeEKHcHjL0fKX5gBLeVu7KiQZwRp7zCMg+Cw2Fv8NePXeHzQMZ96Op0ZkHO4sSfKWtXlvkS3dGqTdQ1VOuY3AXP0taBoFqTvuvxcN5iR6h4bKuGr7eKJr9khQldxie1AiKz2DWkZfNeumIElQ4cwjgkGQGta9CAZ0uT+o4kDzdPl+yN2hVau/w=">
    <input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="1">
    <input type="hidden" name="csrf_token" value="">
  </div>
  <input type="search" name="keywords" id="keywords" placeholder="What are you looking for?...">
</form>

POST https://www.specialityfoodmagazine.com/

<form method="post" action="https://www.specialityfoodmagazine.com/">
  <div class="hiddenFields">
    <input type="hidden" name="ACT" value="19">
    <input type="hidden" name="RES" value="10">
    <input type="hidden" name="meta"
      value="zze8Eg+Ahzbd03ZGOOpXUBgK1RbjGso3lheqqobWhqi8lGy8lEGUofMxdFnqvmR59b4MqtVvv0QTR6NxlNSemvmeIDTEdCD/agNhNN9Wi0mAxwqhmKZfIdma+eQg+n65e2b289BXJ+JEfIQ0+NqWJcz4aoMbaSbHtZ/ksiggmCY5mvJbbHGkKr9mrXIRcaffxMYywpsNVwLQ5kpXsp5Hw9bdZVY4UFUqnwJGDGgUK5OQmKMGqpQYns0xQA5w3aHz8v73ICKCJnYJCrhDdgVvXz1nH0UZM0bxgd7Y2BhgabmiwRDsWyyvvk+TV/Lub1+EFIvTlFIDL5/TaErqwsM69LxjMtHiPoPMi+57NHh+9NPlNtRga7A39qhaCx78d+Q+ecq4rytfpB04COXctZBhtRVV1qIbh+TmkeS3ZsWtq2O7wXd0G9HvHehauuaCOOt3+wNls5hyh3nmyLyNJr89qF7jB85b8nWwndN5FNUHjlU=">
    <input type="hidden" name="site_id" value="1">
    <input type="hidden" name="csrf_token" value="">
  </div>
  <input type="search" name="keywords" id="keywords" placeholder="What are you looking for?...">
</form>

POST

<form method="POST" onsubmit="getMapLocFooter()" id="footer-map-search-form">
  <input type="search" name="search-location" id="footer-search-location" placeholder="Search by a location...">
  <button class="search-icon"><i class="fa fa-search"></i></button>
</form>

Text Content

Get your free copy of Speciality Food Magazine

DOWNLOAD   |  SUBSCRIBE


SPECIALITY FOOD


back

   Get your free copy of Speciality Food Magazine
   
   DOWNLOAD   |  SUBSCRIBE
   
 * News
 * Inspirations
 * Speciality Flavours
 * Directory
 * Downloads
 * Newsletter
   
   

 * Christmas
 * Brexit
 * Awards
 * Start-Ups
 * Food & Drink
 * Retail
 * Industry
 * People
 * Coronavirus
 * Sustainable

 * Advertising
 * Contact
 * About us
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms & Conditions


 * Home
 * Food & Drink


WHAT ARE THE MUST-STOCK STORE CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS?

29 November 2024, 07:00 AM
Food & Drink

 * A well-stocked store cupboard is the foundation for home cooks’ culinary
   exploration, so choose your range wisely

FREE DIGITAL COPY

Get Speciality Food magazine delivered to your inbox FREE

Get your free copy

A well-stocked pantry must be the most valuable resource in any home cook’s
kitchen. Its contents ranging from everyday essentials such as oils, salt and
pepper to spices, seasonings and flavour-packed pastes that can transform a dish
in moments, the store cupboard is a one-stop-shop when it comes to making
homemade dishes sing. 

The magic of store cupboard products lie in their ability to be simultaneously
comforting and exciting, offering everything you need to whip up a delicious
dish for loved ones as well as the adventure of trying punchy new flavours.
Fancy Italian-inspired pasta with a rich sundried tomato, red pepper and oregano
sauce? On the table in 20 minutes thanks to your pantry. Or a spicy, peanutty
ramen full of Eastern promise? See you in 10. 

Convenience is the name of the game. Flavour-packed seasonings and pre-chopped
garlic, ginger and chillies allow customers to rustle up all manner of dishes
without spending valuable time on prep, and pastes promising full-on flavours
all in one place mean that shoppers can experiment with adventurous foods – as
well as family favourites – in far less time than if they had to chop, grind and
whizz each ingredient themselves.



AN EVOLVING MENU

Of course, a sector so wide-ranging is constantly changing shape, and with a
decades-long history RH Amar has long been a go-to for retailers seeking high
quality store cupboard stockers. “RH Amar was founded almost 80 years ago, and
during that time store cupboard ingredients have changed so much but yet there
also remains much reassuring familiarity,” begins Justin Burbage, commercial
director. “There are still the much-loved store cupboard stalwarts, the
workhorses we rely on daily, but they now share the space with an ever-changing
roster of exciting trend-led ingredients.”

The store cupboard is an exciting place to be, says Justin. “We’ve seen the
store cupboard transform from the poor relation to star player in the kitchen,
with shoppers’ eyes opened to the quality, variety and innovation that exists.” 

The recognition from fine food consumers that it’s worth investing in better
ingredients, as well as the constant innovation within ambient products, has
benefited the fine food sector. “There’s been significant premiumisation, with
consumers opting for higher-end brands, like Mutti, for staples such as tinned
tomatoes. The breadth of the category has also expanded, helped by kitchen
design trends where pantries and store cupboards have been given more space,
helping to boost the category’s appeal and growth,” says Justin.



AN APPETITE FOR NEW TASTES

With younger customers increasingly using social media as a resource for meal
ideas, and inspiration from around the world abound, the plethora of ambient
pastes and seasonings on offer in the UK is allowing customers to expand their
culinary portfolio with minimal effort. Gochuchang, a red pepper paste popular
in Korean cuisine, is now a pretty familiar item on ingredients lists despite
being relatively unheard of just a few short years ago – its rise no doubt aided
for the social media trend for Korean food, particularly sweet and spicy
gochuchang-smothered chicken wings.

“Social media has provided a world-wide view into delicious ingredients which we
are lucky enough to be able to supply,” says Justin. “It has also helped bring
in a younger demographic to the speciality food space, who appreciate how these
ingredients offer both quality and flexibility and allow them to experiment with
global flavours.”


DELICIOUS CONVENIENCE

“In 2024, fine food shoppers are seeking more than just convenience – they want
products that align with their values and offer a gourmet experience. This means
a focus on sustainability, transparency in sourcing, and an emphasis on
health-conscious ingredients without sacrificing flavour,” says Tim Hillgarth,
founder of The Saucerer, a brand of premium stir-in pasta sauces. 

Traditionally, ready-made pasta sauces have been largely the preserve of
supermarkets, with big brands taking up all the space on shelves with largely
unexciting lines. Thankfully, the fine food sector is now forging its own path,
with innovative brands like The Saucerer bringing high quality and punchy
flavour to indies. “Being a stir-in brand, luxury convenience is what we’re
about. 


Our range is designed for foodies who seek quality, creativity and bold
flavours.” The range is versatile, too – another tick for inventive but
time-poor shoppers. “We like to go beyond pasta,” says Tim. “Our chorizo sauce
goes well on a focaccia with goats’ cheese, hot honey and basil for example.
Meanwhile, our aubergine and harissa goes well if you dollop it into your baked
egg.”



VALUE IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

With many products offering long shelf lives, versatility and multiple uses per
unit, the store cupboard offers value for money and it’s important to provide
customers with a considered balance of practicality and innovation, all at a
justifiable price. “It’s essential to get the store cupboard basics right,”
agrees Justin. “Consumers want value, but they understand that it’s not just
about price, value is also delivered through exceptional quality. Shoppers are
seeking top-tier staples, whether it’s tinned tomatoes or pasta, that offer
value through the quality and taste they deliver.”

“Kitchen ingredients need to work hard to justify their place on the kitchen
shelf and this is where this category really comes into its own as so many store
cupboard products can be used across many different dishes and occasions, but we
need to work hard to communicate this,” Justin continues.

“In these challenging times the country has been going through, traditional
store cupboard items like canned foods, in particular canned beans and pulses
have become even more appealing to consumers as they are cost efficient, have
longer shelf lives, limit wastage and align with demand for natural plant-based
protein sources,” says Carmen Ferguson, brand manager at Biona’s parent company
Windmill Organics. “Consumers also now increasingly understand that they can buy
healthier food that meets their needs in canned formats too.”


STORE CUPBOARDS AS A TOOL FOR CHANGE

Food waste is a huge topic across the industry, and the store cupboard provides
an opportunity to minimise your customers’ production of it. “With eyes on food
waste, the store cupboard can present a less risky purchase with less potential
wastage, and shoppers appreciate the flexibility that its longer shelf life
brings to meal-planning,” says Justin.

The power of store cupboard items to reduce food waste is also recognised by
Barnes Edwards, director at The Garlic Farm. “What we all need to be doing is
eating actual food, but all too often we end up with tired vegetables at the
back of the fridge. What store cupboard items do brilliantly is to bring them
back to life, but it takes intensely flavoured, carefully prepared products to
do that – if something is filled with ingredients you can’t pronounce, the
flavour won’t be as strong so you’ll need to use more of it. By stocking up on
good quality, flavour-packed store cupboard ingredients you can not only use
less but also encourage the consumption of fresh food. That’s how we approach
our store cupboard range; each item is a vehicle for eating more straight out of
the ground real food.”

A beautiful stock or olive oil can bring an otherwise uninspiring dish to life,
but also to be considered is the environmental cost behind the scenes. “Ambient
foods are packaged and transported, so they naturally have an impact on the
environment,” says Barnes. “This means it’s even more important for Speciality
Food readers to work with suppliers

who pay attention to the impact they’re having on our planet, and who produce
their ranges with care in terms of quality and the use of real ingredients, as
opposed to those who produce food as a commodity and ship it halfway around the
world.

“An item with a modest reach and supply chain is likely to be closer to people
and to be attuned to the community impact of its ingredients,” continues Barnes.
“It’s a question of these things coming together to produce an item which is
full of flavour and nutrients, and doing its job in terms of supporting a
sustainable food industry.”

Ultimately, says Barnes, by investing in quality storecupboard items you are
investing all the way back to the field. “You might not be able to taste it in
isolation, but you are affecting a whole ecosystem.”

Mark Kacary, owner of The Norfolk Deli, talks us through his must-stock
storecupboard items

The number one essential in a shop like ours is that the majority of products we
sell have three magic words on them “made in Norfolk”. We are a local producer
supporting business, and to ensure that we have or can find a local Norfolk
producer in just about every area of food and drink production is very important
to us. However, in terms of what are our best-selling store cupboard essentials…
Rapeseed oils may sound a tad boring, but we are always selling out of rapeseed
oils, chilli oils etc etc. Local chutneys and jams are always big in terms of
what our customers are always spending money on. In terms of trends, we have
noticed an increase in the amount of chilli, sauces and jams we’ve been selling
as well as the newer trend of hot honeys. These were very popular during the
summer and we’ll be looking with interest whether this continues into and
through the winter months.

Share this article
 * 
 * 
 * 
 * 



MUST READ THIS WEEK

 * 1
   Could Bovaer reaction be a ‘big win’ for small, independent dairies?
 * 2
   What are the must-stock store cupboard essentials?
 * 3
   Small UK businesses hoping for a share of potential £20.4 billion Christmas
   spend
 * 4
   New insight reveals UK remains committed to EU imports
 * 5
   Life is Sweet: how to sell confectionery now

View All News >

FOLLOW SPECIALITY FOOD

 * 
 * 
 * 


Get a copy
Subscribe for just £50/year or apply for 3 free issues
Print Edition >
FREE Digital Edition >
FREE Download >
quick links
 * Home
 * How To
 * News
 * Sitemap
 * Advertising
 * Directory
 * Contact
 * Awards
 * Privacy Policy
 * Terms & Conditions

Directory

Interactive Map
Try it here >
Copyright © 2024 Artichoke Media Ltd
Artichoke Media Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales with the
registration number 14769147 04109672.
Registered office address: Jubilee House, 92 Lincoln Road, Peterborough, PE1
2SNY
Trading Address: Suites 2 & 4 Global House, Moorside, Colchester, CO1 2TJ