United Kingdom by campervan: food and supermarkets
Where to buy food in United Kingdom, which supermarkets to use, opening hours and practical tips for eating on the road.
Published 18 September 2026Last checked 18 September 2026
Currency
Pound sterling
GBP, not the euro. £0.8588 to €1 on 18 September 2026
Language
English
Welsh, Scottish Gaelic and Irish appear on signs
Driving
Left
Motorway 70 mph, single carriageway 60 mph
Power
230V, type G
The flat three-pin plug. Continental plugs need adapters
Tap water
Safe to drink
Everywhere in all four nations
Emergency
999 or 112
Both work, both free, from any phone
Food and shops
Food and shops
Cook in the van and use the pub as an evening, not a dinner. British supermarkets are large, cheap, well stocked and open long hours, and they are the reason a van trip here costs what it does. The chains you will use are Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl for a proper shop, and Co-op and Spar for the village version, often attached to a filling station and open when nothing else is.
Where to shop
- Best value: Aldi or Lidl.
- Full range: Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda or Morrisons.
- Camper access: Out-of-town superstores have the best access, but always check for height barriers.
Where to shop, and what each is for
| Chain | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrisons | A full shop. The biggest stores, the widest range, and car parks that take a van. | Town edge rather than town centre, which suits a campervan |
| Aldi and Lidl | The cheapest basket by a clear margin. Good bread, good vegetables, a small range. | In most market towns, and the quickest shop of the lot |
| Co-op | The village shop that is still a real supermarket. Often the only one for miles in the Highlands and mid Wales. | Dearer than the big four, and open long hours including Sundays |
| Spar, Nisa, filling stations | Milk, bread, a hot counter. The thing that is open when nothing else is. | Small and expensive. Fine for a gap, wrong for a week |
| Farm shops and farmers markets | Cheese, meat, bread, vegetables, and the best food you will buy here. | Weekend mornings for markets, cash as often as not |
Eating and drinking in a British pub
- You order and pay at the bar in most pubs, and you go back to the bar for the next one rather than waiting to be asked.
- Food stops before the bar does. Many kitchens take their last order early in the evening, and a lot of rural pubs serve no food at all on a Monday or Tuesday.
Stocking the campervan
- Shop before the peninsula and before the glen, not on them. The Highlands, the Hebrides, the Lleyn, the Lizard and the Donegal-facing Antrim coast all thin out fast.
- Gas is sold at filling stations, hardware shops and caravan dealers rather than supermarkets. A continental bottle usually needs an adapter rather than a refill.
