How to organise a pantry so food doesn't go out of date

Quick checklist

Why organise a pantry at all

Food that nobody can see is food that expires. Be Ready asks households to keep three days of non-perishable food and to check dates every six months. A tidy pantry makes both easy. It also cuts waste, because you shop from what you have.

This is a calm, ordinary habit. It is not stockpiling. You are organising the food you already buy.

Step by step: how to organise a pantry

1. Empty one shelf at a time

Clear a shelf onto a worktop. Wipe it down. Working one shelf at a time keeps the job short and stops the whole kitchen being buried.

2. Check the dates

Learn the two kinds of date. A use-by date is about safety: do not eat the food after it. A best-before date is about quality: the food may be past its best but is often fine to eat if it has been stored properly and looks and smells right, according to Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance. Our guide to best before and use by explains more. Throw away anything past its use-by, anything damaged, and tins that are swollen, leaking or badly dented.

3. Group like with like

Put tins together, then pasta and rice, then baking, snacks, drinks and breakfast items. Keep an "eat first" basket for items near their date. When you plan a meal, start there.

4. Oldest at the front

This is first in, first out. Put the oldest items at the front, or on the left. New shopping goes behind or to the right. On deep shelves, a tiered rack or a first-in, first-out pantry bin (Retailer link coming soon) brings the back row forward.

5. Label and decant

If you pour dry food into jars, label each with what it is and the date. Date-label stickers (Retailer link coming soon) are the cheapest tool. Clear stackable pantry containers (Retailer link coming soon) let you see how much is left. You do not need either to start, as a pen and masking tape work well.

6. Keep a stock list

A short list on the cupboard door, or a pantry inventory notebook (Retailer link coming soon), tells you what you have and what to buy. Our pantry inventory template gives you a layout.

A small kitchen, a flat or a rented place

You do not need a walk-in larder. In a small kitchen, use the space you have: a cupboard shelf, a tray under the bed for tins, or a box in a hall cupboard. Keep to one rule, which is that all food lives in a known place. Renters can use freestanding racks and over-the-door holders that need no drilling. Stack tins in short rows so you can see every date, and keep heavier items on low shelves.

Where to keep it

Store food in a cool, dry place away from the cooker, boiler and direct sunlight. Heat and damp shorten shelf life. Keep cleaning products on a different shelf, below food. Keep pet food apart from human food.

Rotate as you shop

Every time you shop, do a thirty-second check: move the older items forward and slide the new ones behind. Once a month, take five minutes to scan for short dates and plan a meal from them. Our food rotation system guide covers the habit in more detail, and our guide to how long tinned food lasts answers the usual tin questions.

Do this today (free)

1. Pick one shelf and empty it.
2. Throw away anything past its use-by or damaged.
3. Put the oldest items at the front.
4. Write the three items you need to buy on a note.

If you have £10, £25 or £50

These are budgets, not quotes. Check the current price first.

• About £10: a pack of date stickers and a notebook.
• About £25: add a few clear containers for dry foods.
• About £50: add pantry bins for the shelves that need them.

Sources and further reading

• Food Standards Agency
• Be ready for emergencies: checklist and household plan