A weekend away in a self-catering cottage can be lovely, until you try cooking in the kitchen. Andrew Webb has a few tips to share from bitter experience.
There's no worse start to a self-catering holiday than trying to find a shop that sells tea bags, oil, salt and all those other store cupboard essentials that you forgot to pack. At nine o'clock at night. And, having forked out for it all, you'll be damned if you leave the lot to the next guest. The only thing to do, therefore, is to lug it all the way back home.
Here's my list of essentials that I always take with me on a self-catering holiday, having learned from bitter experience.
Tea bags
Night of the blunt knives
Stick your tongs out
I'm a big fan of cooking tongs – they make moving hot things around a lot easier. If you take a metal pair they can also be used on a BBQ. Those 'bent coat hanger'-style ones you get are rubbish and nearly always result in a dropped sausage in my experience.
Crucial condiments
Salt, pepper and oil are well worth taking. I have a small salt and pepper holder from a picnic set which does the job. Remember salt's not just for putting on your food; things like pasta and rice need salt as part of the cooking process, so take a fair bit. The oil can be used for everything from dressing salads to frying eggs.
Empty your fridge
How's this blasted oven work?
Occasionally I've stayed in places with brand new ovens that surely must have been designed by Nasa. There's no way around this but to sit down with the visitor's folder and read the instructions.
The welcome basket
The website says 'complimentary welcome basket', but in my experience that can mean anything from a packet of Hobnobs and sachet of instant coffee to a hamper packed with wine, bread, fruit and cake. Funnily enough, I'd much prefer the latter after a six-hour drive.
The expert's opinion
So far, this is all just my experience, so I thought I'd seek professional advice. Rent My Cottage are part of the The Hoseasons Group, the largest holiday home and cottage letting agency in Britain. I asked Property Operations Director Wendy Halliday a few questions.
What in your experience, do most cottages come with, and what people should bring from home? "Our properties comply with Visit England requirements – we would say you should find all the basics but if you love your coffee machine or your waffle-maker then of course take it with you." Ok, do you offer a welcome basket? "Yes – for example all our luxury properties offer them; baskets vary by property". Grand. Finally, what happens to stuff people leave behind? "This has to be binned to comply with our H&S policy". So there you go, so much better to take the stuff you need with you in the first place.
What are your self-catering experiences? What essential things do you pack before a holiday? Let us know in the Comments below.
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