Personally I think that a well stocked campervan kitchen can save lives and make miracles happen.

When someone gets hangry there is always a snack to be had and when you can’t resist that freshly plucked radish from the roadside stall, or that bag of just picked peas / caught fish / fresh eggs *insert favourite ingredient here*  you can rustle up a meal from just one delicious element and some store cupboard back ups.

A well stocked camper also means being able to get away with little thought or preparation. It means spontaneity, freedom to flit at the drop of a hat. Grab some fresh goodies, pack an overnight bag and go collect your other half from work and surprise them with a weekend away at little cost. All you have to do then is step back and watch the brownie points roll in.

Some ingredients might not be something you class as an ‘essential’ such as both black AND white pepper, and of course, it is a good idea to consider what you might cook from the list of recipes before going out and buying everything. Hell, if you’re allergic to peanuts you’re not going to be making Chicken satay any time soon, so you’re not going to need peanut butter.

Be sensible about it and consider how much space you have too. Buying some small pots (or re-using empty containers you have) to decant some of your home store cupboard herbs, spices and dried goods such as rice, may be more space-saver friendly than buying new full size pots. Think about what you are going to cook before you leave on your roadtrip too, this may reduce your campervan ingredients essentials list and your need to double up with home.

If I throw any wildcard essentials in there, such as Chinese Five Spice, I will always be on the look out for recipes to try out so that you get to use them more than once!

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Always having these basics on hand has meant that regardless of where I have been or what fresh produce I could, or couldn’t get my hands, on I could scrape together a pretty good meal.

In Peru we had the means to make a wild mushroom risotto, in Iraq we made our friends a Thai chicken curry and in Pakistan after 3 weeks of living on curry 3 times a day we escaped to our destroyed campervan to make a Mexican bean soup…but that’s an entirely different story. However, the moral remains that preparation and good store cupboard basics mean eating great food, no matter where you are.

If this list seems huge it may be an idea to gather it all together from your store cupboard at home and see if you think you have space for it all.

Essentials – Level 1 – Don’t leave home without these things.

Wine – Do we see a pattern forming here? Am I making it clear that wine is an essential ingredient to life in a campervan?

Salt and Black ground pepper (not powdered)

White powdered pepper

A selection of your favourite dried herbs  – hint – I will NEVER use dried Thyme in a recipe – Rosemary and Italian mix are pretty much all I pack dry.

Spices – Pack whole spices if you are taking a pestle and mortar or a blender that can grind spice…if not just pack ground – Cumin, tumeric, coriander, curry powder or garam masala, chili flakes.

Teabags or coffee – whatever you drink

Brown sugar – I always have brown granulated and use it in coffee and all recipes regardless of suggestion, unless baking…and I don’t do much baking in my campervan.

All purpose flour

Baking powder

Stock cubes – Beef & vegetable

Your choice of cooking oil. I like Coconut oil – stays solid so can’t spill.

Carton of long-life milk, 2 if you have the space

Soy sauce – I have a dark soy for cooking and a light one for dressing and dipping.

Honey

White wine vinegar or Rice wine vinegar

Sesame Seeds

A tube of tomato puree

Canned essentials

Canned Chopped tomatoes x 2

Canned coconut milk

Canned Chickpeas

Canned Butter beans

Canned Black beans

Canned Baked beans in tomato sauce

Canned Beets

Madras paste

Mustard – any kind you like

Jarred Olives

Canned Tuna or salmon

Canned Sweetcorn

Rice

Pasta

Noodles, egg or rice noodles for soups

Quinoa or cous cous

Fresh essentials are pretty personal but I think aromatics have to be on hand at all times.

Garlic, Chili and ginger, if you’re not a purist you can get Lazy Garlic, Chili and Ginger – the tubes work pretty well but need to be refrigerated.

Parsley and Coriander – if you have a freezer make up some ice-cubes with herbs in and bag & tag.

Lemons and limes

Potatoes, carrots, onions and celery or fennel

Level 2 essentials (as in, not so essential but really nice to have)

Can of evaporated milk – perfect for a treat of bananas and custard on a particularly rainy day or dulce-de-leche (caramel) for a banoffee pie if things get really dire.

Bay leaves – I make a lot of stews because of the cheap cuts of meat…and because I’m really good at it and they are my most favourite thing ever so, if you’re with me on the stew loving level, bring bay.

Peanut Butter – depending how much you like it depends how essential it is, but, a tablespoon of it on a banana has seen us through more than one energy crash!

Chinese five spice

Risotto rice

A jar of curry sauce for a lazy day or a Thai curry paste

Popping corn

A packet of instant mash (my weakness, see seven deadly sins) – great for snacking and thickening soups.

A bag of tortilla chips for all the great dips you’re going to make

Pack of flour tortillas.

Marmite

Fresh goods

These can be either picked up before you leave or on the road. Depending on the length of your trip I have to suggest buying the bulk of your things and leaving at least one day to fate. See what you can pick up on the road fresh from a grower or from a local market and challenge yourself to use that ingredient and whatever you have in the store cupboard. There should be plenty of inspiration on here before too long.

There are of course plenty of veg that lives forever with little care such as potatoes, garlic and onions, butternut squash or pumpkin, white and green cabbage, carrots, turnips/ swede, mushrooms and celery. I have most of these things in a bowl on my kitchen counter (on a non-slip mat) and never throw anything away.

Other veg is a little more fussy and what I call ‘make-a’plan’ veg. Asparagus, cauliflower and broccoli, courgettes/ zucchini, tomatoes and salads and the dreaded pre-packed spinach.

I rarely eat or use fruit other than berries, bananas and pears…so pick your poison.

I always suggest picking up fresh corn on the cobs on the road, carrots, tomatoes, salads, courgettes and apples are great when really fresh as are eggs. I don’t refrigerate eggs, they don’t need to be, so don’t worry about fitting them in your cool box or fridge, save that precious space for goodies like cheese, milk, yoghurt and meats.

Regarding essential dairy, I class eggs, yoghurt and cheese as essentials, especially cream cheese.

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Have I missed anything? Anything you can or can’t live without in your campervan kitchen?