What the heck do I take on a self catering holiday?

[DancingWithYourDog]

Just that really. Going for a week in the U.K. with DS (11) on a self catering holiday. There’s just the two of us. Super excited but quite overwhelmed trying to think what to take. Obviously clothes and toiletries.

What about food? Can’t afford to eat out much but kitchen facilities look limited. Menu planning for the week feels risky until I’ve had a poke around the kitchen.

Games I suppose. Feel quite nervous I’ll get it wrong.

Top tips would be great!

And whoever asked if self catering is that much cheaper, yes it definitely can be but we also do it because we have a dog plus we want the extra space (lounge, garden et) for evenings when DD is asleep or when I wake early in the morning & want a coffee without waking everyone else

This is exactly what I needed, thank you

Quite a few people have commented that every holiday home in the UK is close to a supermarket but there are plenty of remote places in Britain that are only serviced with tiny village shops. I've stayed in a few recently where the nearest shop was a small co-op, that took over half an hour to drive to. I'd pack (or buy if close to a supermarket):
Ibuprofen/paracetamol, handwash, soap, shampoo, antibac wipes/spray, kitchen roll, loo roll, disposable gloves (just in case the place isn't clean enough and needs to be cleaned beforehand), dishwasher tablets, persil capsules, washing up liquid, bin bags, some snacks for DC, tea and coffee, UHT milk might also be a good idea. If you have room in the car then dried pasta and jar-sauce sounds handy for the first night. If there's load of room then a small saucepan, wooden spoon, and knife would be useful.

We are currently staying in a cottage in a fairly remote area. The village doesn't have a shop and we managed to buy ingredients for a very basic meal at great expense in the village shop in the next village about 15 min away. The nearest supermarket is 35-45 min away.
I will say though the cottage is very well equipped.(just no food!)

If you like pasta take your big pasta pan as there isn’t usually one and pack it with olive oil, condiments, coffee, tea bags etc. & pack a large and small sharp knife rolled in a couple of tea towels.

We always take pasta and sauce for an easy first night meal when you’ve been driving and don’t feel like doing much cooking.

I always take

Washing up bottle with a bit left in it
Sponge
Chopping board and knife (I can't cope with other peoples blunt knives and glass chopping boards)
Cling and tinfoil
Bottle of spray and kitchen roll

I find there is always stuff like salt, sugar, teabags

I meal plan but try and take some stuff like a frozen bolognese sauce or a chilli or curry or some things that just need re heating. Soup is a good one

I also get an online shop to be delivered an hour after we plan to get there. Sometimes I take condiments like vinegar or mustard so I'm not buying them to just have a tiny bit then bring home and have two open at once