Things left in kitchen cupboards

[la vache!]

Guests usually leave various food and cooking ingredients either in the fridge and cupboards. Of course the fridge is emptied and cleaned. However, for stuff in the cupboards, which often includes basics such as olive oil, wine vinegar, sugar etc. do you leave that or leave nothing at all in the cupboards? I hate throwing things away each week (and I get through about a bag of sugar every 2 years myself). Olive oil, for example isn't that cheap, so if I were a guest, I think I would quite appreciate having some left, as for a week's stay, there won't be a lot used out of a new bottle.

[Alan Knighting]

Susan,

What one would regard as condiments are left; the rest is cleared out, sometimes for our own use.

Alan

[Ciapolin]

I throw away perishables but leave and store cupboard goods. I personally leave the sachets of sugar rather then a bag because it saves the quandry of whether or not to throw away!

[Guest3]

I personally leave the sachets of sugar rather then a bag because it saves the quandry of whether or not to throw away!

In the welcome pack we leave individual plastic 'pots' of jam, individually wrapped butter, sugar and coffee sachets. This saves us money and also the dilema of having to throw away food stuff that's hardly been used.

[LaLuz]

We have a regular turnover of foodstuffs in our cupboards as a lot of our guests often eat in so I put a paragraph in my info book inviting guests to use whatever they find.

Whenever I go ( every 6 weeks or so in summer) I make a point of going through the cupboard and throwing out anything that looks a bit iffy or is duplicated. This system seems to work well and I think it's appreciated by our guests.

[Nightowl]

Hi LaLuz

I do the same as you - a lot of our guests like to cook at home and when we first rented a holiday house in the CostaLuz (before we bought one) the house we used had absolutely nothing in it, no salt, loo roll, water, nothing, zip! (And no directions to the nearest shop either, no welcome book and the place was up a dirt track in Roche Viejo - (to others not familiar with the area,ie. middle of nowhere).

I vowed that if we ever rented out a holiday house my guests would not be lacking and we leave tins of food in the cupboard, olive oil, condiments, herbs, jars of cook in sauce, bottles of beer etc and non perishables where they are and like you, when we go there I chuck out anything that looks as if it should go. But there seems to be a prettygood turnover and I put in the welcome book that people should feel free to use whatever is there, chuck out whatever they think shouldn't be left; and ask them to broadly replace whatever tinned stuff they use so there's basic's for the next guests. Also I know I share the same managing agent as you (cos you gave me the tip, thankyou) so I know the fridge gets cleaned out every time and anything perishable that's left is chucked.

I think in general people like to feel 'at home' and appreciate this sort of thing ; you always get the few people who can't bear to touch anything that's been left by others, but that's their perogative.

We had a few half bottles of gin, vodka and bacardi left behind one time which I had no qualms about using up!

[Fraise]

I had difficulty in getting things thrown out as my lovely lady who looks after the place fastidiously tried to keep half used bars of soap, loo rolls,food etc ready for the next people, it seems to be a french thing!! I have explained to her that I aim for the market that stays in top end hotels ( ish...not the very top!!!! altho I've had some that do!) and they would not want a used bar of soap!! I had to supervise each change over at first and write it down several times but we're there now- I leave a new one of everything, including washing up brush etc ( who wants a manky used one ? ) and the cupboards have to have nothing already used in them except for salt/pepper /herbs and olive oil/vinegar if the bottles are almost full. She appreciates the difference now and takes the used stuff home herself and the guests are very happy

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[debk]

Knightowl, I had several of the same types of experiences: rented places with a kitchen but not even salt. (Come on, no salt??) So we'd go buy EVERYTHING just to have a few quiet meals.

I vowed that if we ever rented out a holiday house my guests would not be lacking and we leave tins of food in the cupboard, olive oil, condiments, herbs, jars of cook in sauce, bottles of beer etc and non perishables where they are and like you, when we go there I chuck out anything that looks as if it should go. But there seems to be a prettygood turnover

Ditto. Guest love it and we get lots of positive comments. Yes, a very, very few guests won't touch anything and go buy their own olive oil and such, which we are always happy to pass on.

Fraise, too funny about the used bars of soap!
debk

[Sue Dyer]

Knightowl, same here (but I don't think I'd be as generous to give beer away ) The majority of our guest comments say "many more extras than other rentals" etc. I tend to take the half left stuff on merit, I throw away half jars of jam with crumbs in the top, likewise butter with toast crumbs in, rice and storecupboard stuff seems fine as does half packets of frozen chips. I just see how I would feel about using it and as has been said, if people don't want to use it they don't. I find that leaving things encourages folk to leave their pasta, gravy granuals etc.

I have said in a previous post about a very unwelcome item left in a kitchen cupboard. Not the food cupboard but a base unit where I stored spare lightbulbs, bin liners and other hardware. Some guests left a batch of poop bags for dogs, erm, and one of them was full. It minged!!

[Hells Bells]

When we arrived at our place at Easter, there was 2 boxes of instant mashed potato in the cupboard!!!!

[Alan Knighting]

When we arrived at our place at Easter, there was 2 boxes of instant mashed potato in the cupboard!!!!

Not haut cuisine on its own but one of the very best thickening agents for sauces and gravies.

Alan

[A-two]

When we arrived at our place at Easter, there was 2 boxes of instant mashed potato in the cupboard!!!!

Sherlock Holmes might think that was purchased to please a teenager; they wouldn't be seen dead peeling a potato.

[Hells Bells]

Sherlock Holmes might, and we did have a family with teenagers staying, but neither of the boxes had been opened.

[A-two]

neither of the boxes had been opened.

Yep, that would be normal. Other evidence of teenage syndrome would be instant pot noodle soup. They probably refused to leave home without both of these "foods", then after arrival, realized they might as well play along with the whole family thing. Yummy home cooked/restaurant meals were presented, everyone was in a good mood and nobody was on their case, ergo no need to go off in a sulk, skip family dinner and make instant mashed potato by oneself. Comes with the teenage territory... (I'm almost gloating here for getting this one right!)

[Hells Bells]

However, as the mother of two teenagers who would never dream of eating instant mash, even if 'Home Alone'........... I'm going with the group of Engligh guys who stayed, or the family with small children.