Nutrition and Hydration Week: The Corner Shop Cookery Challenge

Our VfL Roving Chef Team was challenged to make a day's worth of meals from local corner shops – on a budget of just £4.50. We hear how they got on.

Corner stores are often the only source of food for those with mobility or access issues, and people living in underserved communities. But relying on a convenience store can be problematic when they are the main source of groceries, especially considering how they often stock little fresh produce and are comparatively costly.

All VfL's chefs say they were forced to rethink their meal options and make use of canned beans, tomatoes and vegetables. “I found very limited choices, inflated prices and limited selection,” says Chef Ollie. “I found some fresh produce, but choice was limited, and the quality and freshness were certainly not good.”

Chef Alex says he struggled to stay within the £4.50 limit. “Shopping daily rather than weekly meant that many items, such as a bag of rice or frozen peas, would be over budget for an initial purchase,” he says, “but could be used for further meals if you were able to shop for multiple days.”

Chef Justina also had to rethink her menu because of the lack of plant-based alternatives within the budget. “I couldn’t find any plant-based alternatives at all,” she says, “not even plant milks.”

VfL's chefs opted for a bean stew as a rich protein source, which also helps to meet the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. However, they admit they used a few extra store cupboard ingredients for flavour.

Want to see how they got on? Watch the full challenge on YouTube.

Mediterranean bean stew

Serves 2

Preparation time: 2 mins

Cook time: 10 mins

• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ onion, diced
• ½ 400g can chopped tomatoes
• ½ 400g can chickpeas (drained)
• ½ 400g can butterbeans (drained)
• ½ 400g can mixed vegetables (drained)
• ½ 300g can potatoes (drained)
• 1 tbs tomato puree (store cupboard)
• 1 tsp paprika (store cupboard)
• 1 tsp mixed herbs (store cupboard)
• Salt & pepper to taste (store cupboard)

1. Heat oil in a medium pan, then fry diced onion until soft.
2. Add chopped tomatoes, chickpeas and butter beans. Cook for 5 mins.
3. Stir through the mixed vegetables, tomato puree, herbs and paprika. Cook for a further 2 to 3 mins.
4. Add potatoes and cook until hot. Avoid stirring too much to prevent potatoes breaking.
5. Season to taste

Chef’s tips: When cooking on a budget, herbs and spices can really transform dishes. Garlic, chilli, mixed herbs and curry spices are great store cupboard items, along with vegetable stock cubes, soy sauce, Henderson's Relish, and nutritional yeast to add extra flavour and taste.

If you are cooking on a tight budget you can find a range of recipes in our guides Cooking on a Budget and Cooking for One.

We also have resources including Vegan Rescue Pack and Veggie Meals to your Door where you can find information and recipe inspiration.

You can see the full video where our chefs discuss this challenge on our YouTube channel.

For further support on accessing fresh produce and store cupboard essentials:

Your Local Pantry

Scottish Pantry Network