FEATURE
FOOD CUPBOARD
27 JUNE 2025 ASIAN TRADER 57
he food cupboard has its
origins in antiquity – the
Romans made mosaics
depicting theirs, full of edibles,
alongside remarkably modern-
looking illustrations of kitchen
implements.
And that’s the thing about the
food cupboard: it has always been
a kitchen necessity, even when
we mostly ate fresh or preserved
food, and obviously long before
the refrigerator – which evolved
from the original cupboard in the
nineteenth century with the
addition of an ice-block compart
ment beneath.
You might know it as a cool,
dark room called a larder, which
every house used to have hidden
away somewhere, stocked with
cans and bags, dried pulses and
secret treats. It is also the home of
what we call ambient or “shelf-
stable”, according to Upuli
Ambawatta, brand manager at
leading speciality food importer
and distributor Empire Bespoke
Foods (EBF). Despite the vast
choice on offer in today’s grocery
channels, including fresh, frozen
and food-to-go, dependable food
cupboard items – which are often
value goods (partly because of
durability) and perfect in hard
economic times – are enjoying
renewed popularity, especially as
people “scratch” cook more for
themselves at home. According to
Mintel’s 2024 World Cuisines
report, over half (54 per cent) of
British consumers say they’re
cooking from scratch more than
they used to.
“Ambient (shelf-stable) meals
have been gaining share in
prepared meal launches over
several years, particularly up to
2023. While canned meals are
included, there has been a notable
increase in launches of pouch
meals from new entrants and
world food brands, especially in
2023-24,” says Ambawatta.
“These products are popular for
quick, convenient meals, with 52
per cent of workers who frequent
ly buy ready meals/ready-to-cook
foods often eating them for
workday lunches.”
The strict definition of
ambient grocery is food that can
be safely stored at room (or
ambient) temperature. That
means that you do not need to
store these items in the fridge,
and the products can range from
pasta, rice, tinned products and
tinned soups, to sauces, snacks,
and ingredients.
Ambient times
Many household brands of
longstanding fame and reputa
tion made their name starting
early in the twentieth century
with ambient products, as the
food market expanded alongside
improved roads and rail commu
nication to transcend local
markets and unite the UK in a
national distribution network.
This necessitated groceries that
would not “go off” in a few days
but could travel and last.
Today, there are many
different manufacturers within
this category, they range from
start-up businesses to huge,
limited companies. For example,
Rubies in the Rubble and Proper
Snacks through to huge busi
nesses like PepsiCo and AB World
Foods.
The value of ambient food
sales has increased, with some
reports indicating a rise of 12.2 per
cent or £444.3 million, although
with some lower volume and an
understandable switch to value,
private label items for staples and
essentials as the cost-of-living
continues to bite. However, this
goes together with consumer
enthusiasm for certain ambient
brands such as sauces where the
taste longevity – standard dried
beans or lentils might be matched
with a top-quality sauce or
condiment outweighs a slightly
higher price.
There’ have been reports of an
increase in the popularity of
Italian-inspired brands within the
canned and ambient food sector
– which might indicate the
Ambient grocery items
are the foundations
of any kitchen,
providing the essential
adaptability and
flavours that make
impulse-bought
ingredients come alive
Always ready: faithful food
cupboard ingredients