A Foodie Founder Shares His Kitchen Staples
FRIDGE STAPLES
Riverford Boxes: We get a weekly delivery of salad and fruit boxes from Riverford. This is an essential for snacking, cooking and enjoying the best seasonal produce. I like to make banana bread – a favourite in the house and for my kids’ packed lunches.
Cacklebean Eggs: These are proper eggs and support local farmers. I need to have these in the fridge for all the baking I get up to.
Cottage cheese: The easiest way to add protein to any meal. I love baking treats for my girls using this simple ingredient which is packed with so many nutrients. Blueberry cottage-cheese muffins are a winner.
King’s Beluga Caviar: This is an absolute essential and I wouldn’t get my caviar from anywhere else.
Secret Smokehouse Smoked Salmon: It’s simply the most versatile staple – breakfast, lunch and dinner – a massive crowd pleaser and the kids love it too.
Mini BabyBels: Such a tasty snack that’s full of protein and nutrients. My favourite when I’m on the go with my mad schedule.
Secret Smokehouse Mussels: Another perfect snack and an absolute winner when entertaining. I serve them straight from the tub with bread, lemon and hot sauce, or pile them onto crostini as an easy appetiser. They’re also ideal for snacking while cooking – surprisingly moreish.
1.2kg T-bone steak from Provenance Butcher: Sounds mental but it’s true. We love beef. Even for Christmas we ditched the turkey and had a BBQ.
CUPBOARD ESSENTIALS
Bovril: Bit of a wildcard staple but it’s my guilty pleasure – at home and work. The perfect salty, comforting drink when I’m cold or under the weather.
Tetley’s Tea: No more to be said.
Espinaler olives with anchovies: We eat cans and cans of these.
Baxters Cock-a-Leekie Soup: You can’t go wrong with a classic soup and crusty bread on the side, doused in Secret Smokehouse smoked butter.
SNACKS & TREATS
Tony’s Chocolonely: The GOAT chocolate. Essential for cooking and eating. I like it chopped and melted through my banana bread when I’m feeling a bit cheeky.
Sugar-coated nuts from Lidl: These bad boys are dangerously good. I get through packets at an alarming rate – perfect for mindless snacking.
Jumbo caramel stroopwafels: These live in the fridge. Colder, firmer and somehow even better. Great with tea or a post-dinner sweet when you don’t want anything too heavy.
Pot Noodle: You can’t beat good old Chicken & Mushroom flavour with some extra soy sauce.
Tunnock’s Milk Chocolate Caramel Wafer Biscuit: Put them in the fridge and dunk them in your tea.
FREEZER ITEMS
Secret Smokehouse Fish Pie: One of those emergency dinners you’re genuinely pleased to eat. Comforting, rich and perfect for nights when cooking properly feels like too much effort. It’s a no-brainer. They sell out so fast in the shop.
Frozen shell-on prawns: I buy these from Billingsgate Market in bulk. Just defrost and eat with some nice supermarket brown bread and a dollop of mayonnaise and lemon juice.
Prawn gyozas: We have a brilliant Asian supermarket near us and fill our freezer full of them.
DRINKS
Irn-Bru: If you know, you know.
Hendrick’s Gin: A hosting essential and perfect to break the ice when everyone arrives.
Fever-Tree tonic: To go with the Hendrick’s, alongside a couple of slices of cucumber and a crack of pepper. I also like San Pellegrino’s sparkling water.
Fortaleza Blanco Tequila: For when I feel like showing off and making a margarita.
Pickle House Tomato Bloody Mary Mix: For weekend brunches or slow Sundays, when I can’t be bothered making my own from scratch.
Visit SecretSmokehouse.co.uk
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