As the cost-of-living crisis deepen, more households across the UK are turning to scratch cooking to save money whilst still enjoying healthy, wholesome meals. Rising food prices and energy costs are squeezing budgets, but these aren’t the only reason consumers are looking to create restaurant-quality dishes at home.
Interest in healthy eating is gaining momentum as more people are looking to avoid ultra-processed foods (UPFs), instead choosing fresh, whole ingredients to boost their health and wellbeing. Mintel’s ‘UK Attitudes towards Cooking in the Home Consumer Report 2024’ found that almost half of UK cooks say that UPFs have made them cook at home more than the previous year, with ingredients such as processed meat, meat substitutes and pre-made cooking sauces standing to face growing scrutiny.
Whether it’s whipping up a quick family meal or preparing an impressive weekend feast, scratch cooking allows home cooks – both novice and experienced – to experiment with new recipes, techniques and ingredients that they might not have considered before. From hearty soups to vibrant salads, home cooking allows us to put a personal spin on everyday dishes while experimenting with new, healthier alternatives. Even with budget constraints, many consumers are finding ways to elevate their cooking through affordable premium ingredients, which brings a sense of creativity and satisfaction back to the kitchen.
Simplicity with sauces
Pre-made sauces can be a great option for budding chefs, offering convenience and a stepping stone into the world of cooking without the intimidation of starting entirely from scratch. For those who may feel overwhelmed by the thought of making a sauce themselves, a high-quality, store-bought option can simplify the cooking process while still delivering delicious results.
Let’s start simple but impressive. An affordable staple for many households, pasta is the perfect meal for those with busy schedules. SAUCERER is a new gourmet stir in pasta sauce range offering vegan, natural and flavourful sauces with none of the added nasties. The range includes Roasted Aubergine & Spicy Harissa, Plant-based Chorizo & Smoky Red Peppers and Wild Mushroom & Truffle Oil Pesto, all bursting with enormous flavour. If you fancy even more Mediterranean flavours try Biona’s Organic Aubergine Pesto, an indulgent blend of subtly smoky aubergines and sweet sun-dried tomatoes. Perfect for a pasta pairing, spooned onto fresh bread or tossed through roasted vegetables.
Clearspring’s award winning Organic Teriyaki Sauce (also available in a gluten-free version) is ideal for basting, glazing and marinading, to add a teriyaki twist to any meal. The organic fine foods specialists have recently introduced the UK’s first organic, gluten-free and plant-based Pad Thai Sauce to help you make the popular sweet and tangy Thai dish at home.
For those who fancy building up from a base, CRAVE’s P’Not Butter is a luscious nut-free, dairy-free and gluten-free starting point for a homemade Satay Sauce – simply mix with red curry paste, coconut milk, soy sauce and sugar for a healthy, authentic sauce that will be ready in minutes.
Store cupboard staples
Store cupboard staples are the backbone of any kitchen. From beginners to seasoned chefs, these versatile ingredients form the foundation of countless meals.
Oils are the base of many dishes, making them a vital ingredient for scratch cookers. Zaytoun’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil is grown by small-scale farmers in the West Bank of Palestine, where olive trees have been cultivated for centuries. For those wanting to widen their oil collections, Sun & Seed have a wide range of oils from Pumpkin Seed, to Flaxseed and Chia Seed to help elevate your meals whilst packing in the nutrients.
Stock and broth are the store cupboard staples of the moment, essential for adding flavour to any meal. Natural food brand Kallø launched their range of organic stock pots earlier this year to fill the gap in the market for a stock pot that appeals to an eco-conscious yet culinary creative audience. Available in beef, chicken, low salt and a variety of vegetable varieties these organic cubes provide an ideal base for consumers to build on. Bone broth brand Freja is also innovating this space with their natural, nourishing stock cube alternative. Their Instant Bone Broth has an all-natural ingredients list brimming with benefits including adding 11g protein and up to 7g of collagen per serving and is both gluten and dairy-free.
Flours are the first port of call for many home bakers. A rise in people baking led to Doves Farm relaunching its Organic Pasta & Pizza Flour, as consumers become more aware of product ingredients and seek to make recipes from scratch. The brand is the UK’s number one organic flour brand with over twenty variants available in its range.
Prioritise proteins
High-protein products have been in demand for a while now, with plant-based proteins like beans, pea pasta, and tofu becoming increasingly popular in home kitchens, particularly as more people adopt flexitarian, vegetarian, or vegan diets.
Beans, such as chickpeas, black beans, and lentils, are a fantastic starting point. Affordable, nutrient-dense, and easy to store, they are rich in protein, fibre, and essential vitamins. Suma has a wide range of canned beans which are great for quick meals as they require no prior soaking. From baked to edamame, and butter to pinto, Suma’s range of options are perfect for soups, stews, salads, or veggie burgers, adding bulk and flavour to a wide range of dishes.
Pea pasta and other legume-based pastas are a great option for those looking to increase their intake of plant-based protein while enjoying a familiar comfort food. Profusion’s Chickpea Orzo and Red Lentil Orzo, a form of short-cut pasta shaped like a large grain of rice, are rich sources of plant-based protein and contain important antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to benefit overall health. These innovative orzo products also cook quickly, making them a convenient choice for busy shoppers looking for fast, nutritious and gluten-free options.
Tofu is another versatile plant-based protein that can be adapted to suit almost any dish as it absorbs marinades and seasonings well, making it a blank canvas for creativity. Tofoo’s firm tofu is perfect for beginners, as it doesn’t require any prior pressing – just drain the liquid, and pat dry if you would like. The brand’s signature tofu comes in a variety of flavours such as sriracha, teriyaki and smoked, alongside its ‘naked’, unflavoured version.
Snacking superstars
Snacky dinners, lovingly referred to as ‘picky tea’ in the UK or ‘girl dinner’ on social media, have gained popularity for their simplicity, ease of preparation, and flexibility. Whether you’re sharing with family, entertaining friends, or eating alone, snacky dinners are a relaxed, fun, and satisfying way to mix things up in the kitchen while allowing for personal choice and creativity.
Kallø’s Mixed Seeds Veggie Thins, winner of the Best New Food Product at Natural & Organic Product Expo 2024, are a great base for this kind of meal, perfect for layering, spreading, dipping and nibbling. These gluten-free crackers are made from a high-fibre, protein packed blend of chickpeas, black quinoa, poppy, linseed and chia seeds. Try them with Bonsan’s range of indulgent plant-based spreads, including Organic Cashew Chive Cheese-free Spread, Organic Toscana Style Spread and Organic Lentil Turmeric Spread.
Mediterranean antipasti are a fantastic way to add in flavoursome vegetables to a picky tea. Realfoods by Organico’s range of antipasti, including artichoke hearts, capers, grilled peppers and sun-dried tomatoes are all grown on a farm in Puglia, Italy, by a family of three brothers entirely dedicated to organic agriculture, running to a strict seasonal calendar. On a mission to bring the best that Palestinian food has to offer to the UK, Rift Valley Farms have introduced a range of Palestinian food cupboard elements, ranging from antipasti essentials such as olives and tapenade to spices like ground sumac and za’atar.
Embrace the air-fryer to add a little more crunch to your snacking with Strong Roots, the pioneer’s in veg-forward frozen food. Their Air Bites range is ready in just 10-12 minutes and is jam-packed fully of goodness. Perfect for an afternoon snack, quick lunch or party platter pleaser, the range includes three veg-forward flavours: Crispy Spinach & Carrot, Crispy Pea & Lemon and Crispy Veg.
A helping hand
Recipe kits and meal boxes have become increasingly popular, offering a convenient and accessible way to cook fresh, balanced meals at home for those interested in scratch cooking without the hassle of planning, prepping and shopping for every individual item. Riverford Organic offer organic recipe boxes and kits, full of fresh ingredients to cook inspiring seasonal meals. With a variety of recipes to choose from – including plant-based options – these recipe sets offer easy step-by-step instructions straight from the farm chefs, along with exact quantities for each ingredient to avoid food waste.
