The Brexit Kitchen Stores
Did I get your attention there? Or maybe, like me, you rolled your eyes a little bit at the thoughts of stockpiling certain food items in advance of Brexit (in whatever form it eventually takes). Bear with me here though, because a fully stocked store cupboard is a thing of beauty and regardless of the UK imminently leaving the EU it’s a good idea.
What’s in my pre-Brexit store cupboards? It’s probably easier to list it out according to category:
Dry Stores
- Beans – Black eyed, pinto, chickpeas (garbanzo), and butterbeans
- Lentils
- Seeds – Pumpkin, Sesame, Sunflower, Poppy, Nigella (onion seed)
- Sugar – Caster, Granulated, Soft Brown, Dark Brown, Demerara (did you know it’s not produced in Ireland anymore?)
- Flour – Plain, Self Raising, Strong, Type 00 (for pasta making), Wholemeal, Brown
- Oats
- Tinned Beans (blackbeans, pinto, chickpeas, butterbeans, and baked beans)
- Passata
- Tomato Puree
- Oils – olive, sunflower, rapeseed, peanut
- Dried Fruit – Raisins, currants, apricots, prunes, figs
- Pasta – spaghetti, lasagne sheets, and several different pasta shapes
- Rice – White, brown, basmati, pudding
- Bulghar Wheat
- Couscous
- Stock Cubes
- Tea
- Coffee
Freezer
- Loaves of bread
- Meat – chicken, beef, pork, lamb
- Fish
- Pizzas (emergency use only)
- Yoghurt
- Vegetables – peas, sweetcorn, butternut squash
- Fruit – gooseberries, raspberries, bananas (skin off), strawberries, blackcurrants, blackberries, blueberries, apple purée (perfect for baking)
How do I build up my stores? I simply buy a little bit extra every week and factor it into my shopping budget, the maximum I spend each week is €5 on the extra items but store items like beans are extremely good value and I can get plenty for that amount of money.
The idea is, Brexit aside, that I should be able to feed the family from the freezer and cupboards for up to a month or more in the event of me running out of cash. I’d really only need to buy milk (which I know I can also freeze but I don’t have space) and eggs.
I have to emphasise here, I’m not a hoarder! I rotate my stocks and we will eat absolutely everything in the presses in rotation. Once I reach a set limit on my store levels I restock. I also keep an eye out for special offers and deals to stock back up.
Do you only buy what you need? Do you keep large stores like I do or do you just top up 1 item as and when it runs out? Might you change your shopping habits in the coming weeks and months?
PS
It’s likely that there are some foodstuffs that are going to be more expensive in the next few months. However, buying locally produced seasonal food is always going to be more affordable. Think fruits and vegetables for example. The first of the Irish tomatoes left a farm local to me over the St Patrick’s Day weekend, and strawberries won’t be far behind, so keep an eye out in the supermarkets this week as choosing to buy Irish has a long-term impact on our local communities and economy.
The trick to perfect meatballs is to roast them in the oven before adding the meatballs to the sauce. This is not only a way to render off the fat you sometimes find in the cheaper cuts of meat, but the browning process in the oven adds extra flavour. It’s easy to see why this meal is a hit with my family. 
This vegetarian tart is so easy to make thanks to the pre-rolled puff pastry. There really isn’t much to do apart from bake the pastry, then fill it a quarter of an hour before serving, then cooking for the final few minutes. It’s the ultimate make-ahead party food, and you’ll look like an absolute genius to produce something so pretty from your kitchen at the last minute. What makes it more incredible is that you only need 5 ingredients to make it! 
It’s a delicate balancing act but you don’t need me to tell you that I’m sure. How do you allow for all the costs during the year, make sure that the bills are paid, that there are enough savings for special occasions, and not end up pulling your hair out in frustration?
Here’s how we saved money while renovating our kitchen. It goes without saying that we had a very tight budget to renovate the kitchen. I’m a big fan of lists and so had itemised all the expected expenses. We knew that we could save money but I didn’t want to cut corners on the final finish.
