Food & Pantry
Three days edible cold, then a 30-day pantry
0 of 27 bought
£0 of £1,814 spent
£753 critical
£1,814 for everything
Buy now: under 72 hours
£91 critical£127CriticalUHT milk, 200 ml cartons
£15
Small cartons avoid opened milk without a fridge; allocate 15
1 case of 27Paperstone (opens in a new tab)CriticalSmooth peanut or seed butter
£5.00est.
Only one everyone tolerates; spread thinly
CriticalCrackers, oatcakes or crispbread
£1.96
Include softer options for the younger children
4 × 300 gTesco (opens in a new tab)CriticalTinned complete meals, ring-pull
£30est.
At least 400 kcal each: familiar stews, mild curries, beans and sausages
15 tinsTesco (opens in a new tab)CriticalReady-to-eat rice or grain pouches
£7.00
Label must say it can be eaten cold
CriticalTinned protein
£20est.
Fish, chicken and pulses; lower-salt where possible
10 tinsTesco (opens in a new tab)CriticalTinned fruit in juice and tinned vegetables
£12est.
6 of each
12 tinsTesco (opens in a new tab)Chocolate or familiar treats
£4.40
Morale; keep chocolate away from pets
2 × 200 gTesco (opens in a new tab)Your dog's usual complete food
£10est.
Weigh the daily ration; don't change its diet. Add 100 waste bags
Buy next: over 72 hours
£662 critical£1,687CriticalBreakfast and staples
£149est.
+9 kg oats, +5 cases of UHT milk, +9 kg nut or seed butter, +36 packs of crackers
CriticalMeals
£513est.
+135 complete meal tins, +90 rice pouches, +90 tins of protein
Fruit, vegetables and snacks
£276est.
+54 fruit, +54 vegetables, +4.5 kg dried fruit, +180 bars, +18 chocolate
Raised beds
£200est.
Open-pollinated vegetable seeds and seed potatoes
£40est.
Potatoes, beans, kale, onions, garlic, courgettes and others
1 collectionB&Q (opens in a new tab)Fruit bushes and 2–3 fruit trees
£150est.
SeveralB&Q (opens in a new tab)Garden tools, compost and pest protection
£150est.
Spade, fork, trowel, watering can
Food-safe jars and a preservation course
£100est.
Learn a taught method before relying on it
Chickens (5 hens), coop and run
£400est.
Optional; register with APHA
RHS vegetable-growing guide
£15est.
To do
Check every
Quarterly: dates, then rotate the oldest into normal meals.
Where it lives
Kitchen cupboards for the 72-hour basket; sealed boxes off the floor in the garage for the pantry, away from fuel, damp and rodents.
Know-how
Why it matters
- Shops empty fast and card machines fail. Cold-edible food means you don't depend on fuel or water to eat.
In an outage
- Eat fridge food first with the door kept shut, then the freezer, then tins.
- If in doubt about chilled food, throw it out (Food Standards Agency). Smell and look aren't proof.
- Open small portions. Cook outdoors only.
Family rules
- No whole nuts for children under five (NHS). Cut food to size.
- On blood pressure medicine? Ask before using potassium-based salt substitutes.
- Dog: its usual food only, and keep chocolate away.
Rotate
- Store what you eat, and eat what you store. Nothing is wasted.
Infographic · tap to enlarge