As the seasons change I like to start a few new home-based projects, usually including an Empty the Store Cupboard challenge to get rid of older foodstuffs and make some space before the festive season starts. However, I’ve decided to create a modified challenge this year due to the current Brexit uncertainty; if the Government succeeds in causing a crash out no-deal scenario then by their own admission there might be shortages of certain foods and a number of other problems.

Obviously the future is unwritten and it’s difficult to predict what will happen in the next few days in the UK but I do feel on balance that it would be irresponsible of me to suggest people start partially emptying their own kitchen shelves this month. Instead I’ll be doing a modified challenge where we rotate and replace some of the contents of our cupboards in the space of one week. No gaps. I’ll also be suggesting a few ideas for keeping it all tidy and organised, and ways to keep better track of your ingredients and their freshness.

So this is going to be called the Tidy the Store Cupboard Challenge, seeing as we won’t be emptying and using things up at the usual pace. We’ll be making sure there’s a little surplus in case of small emergencies, as well as some cleaning, decluttering and menu planning. Look out for the #TidyTheSC hashtag on social media over the next few days and join in with your own photos and experiences.

The Tidy the Store Cupboard Challenge schedule

If you’d like to join in with this new challenge it’ll be starting this coming Monday. There will be a small, manageable task to do each day that can be completed in a few minutes, or if you’re too busy to do that then you’ll be able to catch up and do it all at the weekend when most people have more free time.

Here’s the day-by-day schedule:

• Monday: Quick clean and categorise
• Tuesday: Basic use-by dates
• Wednesday: Herbs, spices, oils and sauces
• Thursday: Carbs and proteins
• Friday: Fruit, veg, breakfasts and baking
• Saturday: Inventory, planning and shopping list
• Sunday: Head to the shops

Let’s get those store cupboards tidied up, restocked and running as smoothly as possible. As you can see from the photo above, it’s high time to get ourselves properly organised here. Hope some of you will be able to join in with me too.