Waitrose mocked for list of 'student storecupboard' essential ingredients

'If there are no instant noodles there, it’s no student pantry'

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Frozen pizza, pot noodles and beans on toast - the stereotypical student diet is all about affordability, allowing undergraduates to save their pennies and focus on their studies.

In the eyes of Waitrose, however, the student kitchen is a far fancier affair.

The upmarket supermarket has revealed its list of essential ingredients for soon-to-be students - and has been relentlessly mocked on social media for the choices.

Organic tamari soya sauce (£3.15), rose harissa paste (4.35), organic cyder vinegar (£1.70), Swiss vegetable bouillon powder (£2) and organic Italian seasoning (£1.89) are the five ingredients listed in Waitrose’s “student storecupboard.”

The list is described as “a starter kit for the fledgling cook about to fly the nest,” with ingredients chosen to help students make soups, stir-fries and marinades.

But after Twitter user Andrew Stronach from Norwich shared an image of the page in Waitrose’s magazine, it swiftly went viral, with many people sharing their incredulity at the list.

With expensive tuition fees and soaring rents, many students struggle to get by, which is why lots of people are outraged by Waitrose's suggestions.

Some parents replied to share the ingredients their offspring had in fact taken to university.

“This is completely ridiculous,” wrote one person. “Some students may want to try their hand at creative cooking, but these are #NotEssentials. How about sunflower oil, salt and pepper, garlic bulb and tomato puree?”

However some pointed out that for students who actually are interested in cooking, the ingredients would be helpful.

The Independent has contacted Waitrose for comment.