British cupboards are now home to staples few would have heard of in 1980 – like couscous, harissa, and coconut milk, according to a study. Research among 2,000 adults found one in three homes now have a bottle of soy sauce available at all times, while 10 percent always have rice crackers, and 25 percent now consider balsamic vinegar an essential ingredient.
However, corned beef, condensed milk, and Spam are only likely to be found in a parent or grandparent’s cupboard – along with tinned peaches (27 percent), tinned sardines (21 percent), and Bovril (21 percent).
But some favourites have stood the test of time – with baked beans, biscuits, tinned soup, chopped tomatoes, tinned tuna, and lentils still commonplace after 40 years.
The study was commissioned by SPAR to launch its “Giving One Million Meals” project, in partnership with charity FareShare.
SPAR is donating £250,000, with contributions from Coco-Cola and Robinsons – and for every £1 given, FareShare can redistribute enough food for the equivalent of four meals to people in need across the UK.
Suzanne Dover, spokeswoman for the community retailer, said: “We understand how important it is to have the cupboard essentials you need to hand, and it’s really interesting to see how these essentials have changed over the years, and which are still our firm favourites.”
Almost a fifth (18 percent) believe there are five to ten items at the back of their cupboards which are long past their use-by date.
And 61 percent even think they’ve got spices, tins, or bags with foodstuffs that are up to four years old.
Exactly one in ten respondents say they can’t remember the last time they had a proper sort-out of their kitchen cupboards – as 52 percent admit they worry about throwing away and wasting staple foodstuffs.
Just over eight in ten (83 percent) are likely to save cooked food and use them as leftovers, rather than throw them away.
Of these, 79 percent hate to see food wasted – and 51 percent fret about how much more expensive food is now, according to the OnePoll.com data.
To bulk out their meals, 48 percent are adding more vegetables, and 32 percent will include old leftovers into a new meal.
And one in five (19 percent) will experiment with the items in their cupboards to enhance a meal they’re making, and reduce waste.
When it comes to helping others, half of us (49 percent) have donated to food banks and charities to give back – with 19 percent donating more to food banks in recent years, to help with the cost-of-living crisis.
Polly Bianchi, director of fundraising at FareShare, added: “The donation will make a significant contribution to our work getting good-to-eat food, which might otherwise go to waste, to people who need it.
“As the winter months approach, our network of 8,500 charities across the UK will be working hard to provide hearty, nourishing meals for people in their communities.
“Each group provides vital wraparound services to support people impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, and the contribution made will go a long way to strengthening those communities.”
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