Food and Cooking for UK Camping
Look, we’ve all been there: standing in the rain at 7pm, trying to work out what to actually cook while your mates huddle in the tent wondering if they should just order Deliveroo or go to the pub instead. But here’s the thing, with a bit of smart planning, eating while camping in the UK doesn’t have to be a soggy disaster.
The truth is that camping food gets a bad rep. Majority of people think it’s all about burned sausages, soggy bread and lukewarm beans eaten straight from the tin. And yeah, that happens sometimes (especially when you’ve accidentally packed that half empty gas canister instead of the full one). But it doesn’t have to be that way. So what’s the difference between camping trips where everyone’s hangry and miserable versus ones where mealtimes are genuinely enjoyable? About ten minutes of planning and knowing a few tricks that actually work.
So whether you’re fuelling up before a festival day or making proper meals on a family camping trip, this no-nonsense guide will help you eat well without the stress. From quick one-pan wonders to easy prep-ahead options, you’ll find plenty of ideas to keep everyone fed and happy. So grab your camping stove, stock up on the essentials, and let’s make your next trip taste a whole lot better.
Best Camping Meals for UK Weather
British weather is basically a personality test for your meal plans. One minute you’re cooking in sunshine, the next you’re huddled under a tarp wondering why you didn’t just bring sandwiches. The smart move? Plan meals you can actually cook whether it’s bright sunshine, blowing a gale or drizzling (so, most of the time). One-pot wonders are your best mate here: less washing up, less faff and you can chuck everything in and let it do its thing while you stay relatively dry with a beer or glass of wine.
Now, what should you actually cook? Here are some top-notch British camping meals that are easy to sort. These classics have survived for a reason, they work, they’re filling and they won’t let you down when conditions get sketchy.
Easy Camping Breakfast Ideas
Quick Camping Lunch Options
One-Pot Camping Dinners That Work
How Do You Cook in the Rain When Camping?
If the forecast does look properly grim, scout out the covered areas when you arrive so you’re not scrambling to find shelter mid-dinner prep. Some campsites even have communal cooking shelters with tables and benches, if they have them use them! You’ll stay dry, meet other campers and cooking suddenly becomes much less of a faff. Shared spaces do come with a bit of etiquette though, so remember the following to keep everyone happy.
Where to Buy Food Near UK Campsites
Unless you’re deep in the wilds of northwest Scotland, food shopping whilst camping couldn’t be easier. There are usually some really good spots close by to grab some local produce and grub, so always double check with the owners of your campsite for any hidden gems that they know about.
Chat with them about:
Farm shops that are usually filled with top-notch local farm fresh stuff that is better than you’ll find in a supermarket.
Village shops that will have a wider range of products and often have recommendations of things going on in the area.
Any Farmers markets that popup at the weekends, these are perfect to keep you going for a week’s worth of camping.
Finally Pick Your Own places that are around during the summer months. Nothing beats sitting back at camp with some freshly picked strawberries, local cream and a local cider.
Shopping locally isn’t just about supporting small businesses (though that’s great too), it’s genuinely more convenient. You can grab what you need without driving miles to a supermarket and you’ll discover regional specialities that make your camping meals more interesting. You never know, you might discover that you’re a fan of Bedfordshire clangers, Sussex pond pudding or Pan Haggerty!
How to Keep Food Fresh When Camping in the UK
The UK’s humid weather means food goes off faster than you’d think, it’s not like camping in hot, dry climates where things just dehydrate. The combination of British humidity and fluctuating temperatures means that “probably fine” can turn into “definitely dodgy” sometimes in a matter of hours. So plan for shorter storage times than you would elsewhere, when in doubt, give it a sniff and if anything smells off, chuck it out. Most campsites provide food waste recycling, so use it, as no one wants to attract wildlife to their tent (even if our wildlife is mostly just pushy seagulls and rampant badgers after billy bear ham).
Especially keep an eye on dairy products they’re always the first to go off. If something smells weird or the packaging is bloated, don’t risk it. Food poisoning in a tent is nobody’s idea of a good time; one particular memorable trip we had to a Scottish campsite led to several days of late night runs to the loo. Trust us, it’s not fun!
Camping Meal Prep Tips That Save Time
Pre-Prep at Home
This is where you can be properly clever and save yourself loads of stress. Chop vegetables at home, marinate meat the night before, portion out dry ingredients into bags. When you’re at the campsite, you’ll be grateful you’re not trying to dice onions on a wobbly camping table in the wind (which is a recipe for disaster).
Pre-cooked meals that just need reheating are brilliant, curries, chilies, pasta sauces (anything of that ilk) all travel well in sealed containers. Freeze them before you leave and they’ll help keep other food cool while defrosting, then you can heat and eat with minimal faff. You’ll be grateful for these back at camp after a day out with the kids or after a long hike in the Lake District.
Timing Your Meals
Think about when you’ll actually want to cook. If you’re doing tent hire for a festival, you probably want quick breakfasts so you can get to the action and maybe just grab food from stalls during the day. For family camping trips, you might want a proper dinner to round off the day and have a wind-down after a long day. Plan accordingly and keep it simple – remember that you are on this trip as well, so don’t commit to elaborate three-course dinners that take hours to do, if you’ll be knackered and just want something quick.
Festival Camping Food on a Budget
Let’s be honest: if you’re at a festival, you’re probably not doing gourmet cooking. Keep breakfast simple (cereal, fruit, pastries), grab lunch from vendors and then maybe do easy dinners back at camp if you fancy it. If this is your plan then make sure you don’t clash any meals with those acts you’re dying to see. Nothing worse than abandoning a meal halfway through cooking because the headline act you’ve come to see is now on stage!
If this sounds like something you’d do, you could just embrace the festival food scene, it’s part of the experience but in reality is probably not cost effective for anyone who is cash-strapped (looking at you students!). If you do lean more towards the food festival scene, you can put some of the money you save on tent hire instead of buying gear you’ll barely use, towards trying all the street food you want!
Portion Control
Camp cooking makes it weirdly easy to either massively over-cater or somehow not have enough food. A good rule: plan portions slightly bigger than normal because being outdoors makes everyone hungrier, but don’t go overboard. If you’re at the beginning of your camping week, then it might be a blessing in disguise that you’ve cooked half a kilo of pasta more than you need. At least you’ve sorted meals for tomorrow! But if it’s the last night of camping, nobody wants to carry half a kilo of leftover pasta home.
Leftover food disposal can be awkward because you can’t just bury it (wildlife will dig it up), you can’t really burn it (food doesn’t burn well and it stinks), and leaving it behind is absolutely not an option. So the choices become: force everyone to eat way more than they want or resign yourself to hauling the remains back in your pack. Neither is especially fun when you’ve already got tents, sleeping bags, and damp socks to worry about. So make sure you have your portions under control.
Eat Well, Camp Better
That’s the thing about camping food: it doesn’t need to be complicated to be good. The meals that work best are the ones you can actually cook without stress and leave you not to worry about the mountain of washing up after, especially when you’re already tired from a day in the outdoors. Whether that’s a proper one-pot dinner, a chippy tea or a pub meal you didn’t have to cook yourself, they all count as wins.
The real secret to eating well while camping? Being honest about what you’ll realistically cook, prepping the bits that make sense to prep and knowing when to take the easy option. Your camping trip isn’t a cooking show audition. It’s about being outdoors, having a good time and not spending half your evening wrestling with a camping stove in the rain.
So plan smart, keep it simple, and remember that a hot meal at the end of the day (however you get it) is one of the best parts of camping.
Now go enjoy those burnt sausages!
One Less Thing to Worry About
You’ve got your meals sorted. Now sort your tent without the commitment. Hire quality gear and save your budget on the food and drinks that actually matter.