How to plan a shopping list for a group weekend

A weekend away with friends lives or dies on the food shop. Buy blindly and you either run short on Saturday night or drive home with a boot full of waste. Here’s how to get it right.

Plan the meals before the list

Write down every meal for the weekend first: two dinners, one big brunch, snacks and drinks. A shopping list built from real meals is always tighter than one built from “what do we usually buy?”.

Size quantities for the group

Rough per-person guides for a weekend of eating in:

• •Meat/fish for a main: ~200 g per person.
• •Pasta/rice/dry carbs: ~100 g per person per meal.
• •Bread: about one loaf for four people per day.
• •Breakfast: eggs, bread, fruit, yoghurt — plan brunch as one bigger meal, not two.
• •Drinks and snacks: always more than you estimate; agree a budget up front.

Group the list by aisle

Sort items into produce, meat/fish, dairy, dry goods, drinks and household. A categorized list means one trip, one trolley, and nothing forgotten in the back corner of the shop.

Account for diets and allergies up front

Ask the group before you shop, not at the table. One vegetarian or one gluten-free guest changes the list — collect everyone’s restrictions once so no one is left with nothing to eat.

Avoid waste (and settle up)

• •Buy fresh things for early meals and hardier ones for later.
• •Plan one “clear the fridge” meal for the last day.
• •Keep the receipts and split the total — by head, or by who was there for each meal.