we asked 4 creative folk to illustrate their grocery baskets

REBECCA MILLSTell us about the groceries in your illustration. We are definitely an ‘ingredient’ family – we buy lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. My kids are also smashing the smoothies at the moment, which means we get through an absolutely ludicrous amount of frozen berries and mango. We can’t open a mango packet without our dog Pippa arriving for her bit. There is soda water for gin, and cucumbers, carrots, onions, avocado and lettuce for dinner staples. I’ve also included yellow chrysanthemums that I sometimes treat myself to – they last forever so I feel thrifty when I buy them. 

What items are usually in your fridge and pantry? Lots of different flours and spices for baking and cooking. We also have a big stockpile of snacks like yoghurt, chips and muffins for school lunchboxes. My daughter Evelyn loves hummus so there’s always an almost-finished tub in the fridge. Pippa also has her own collection of treats – dried chicken is her current fave. 

What was the last meal you cooked for yourself? My 11-year-old son Zac is really into cooking at the moment; last night we cooked knock-off KFC chicken wings, mash and coleslaw. We try to home-cook five nights a week and one night of those is always some sort of bastardised Mexican, like tacos with celery and grated carrot. 

When eating out, what do you typically order? Something too tricky to make at home. Hotpot is a favourite – there’s a place close to us that has all the ingredients on a sushi-train-style belt which is a lot of fun, and means everyone can try things in a low-pressure setting. My kids go nuts for quail eggs. Who knew?

What would your last meal on Earth be? I love Korean food so maybe a bibimbap with a side of sticky, spicy chicken wings.

ASHLEY HUNTINGTONTell us a little bit about the groceries you’ve included in your illustration. This is just a typical week of groceries for my fiancé and I! There are lots of staples and we’re big salmon fans. I’m a huge cereal girl and could honestly eat it for every meal if I could, so I just had to add that. Plus, a sneaky lil’ Cherry Ripe, which I just cannot resist whenever I do a shop – you gotta treat yourself!

What was the last meal you cooked for yourself? Beef and broccoli stir fry. It’s one of our faves and so, so easy to make. Plus, it makes heaps of leftovers so we have lunch sorted for the next couple of days.

What would your last meal on Earth be? One hundred per cent it would be a burger and fries – nothing can beat it. There’s just something about secret burger sauce; it’s my Achilles heel. 

When grocery shopping, do you tend to be a list person, or a browse person? Deep down I am definitely a browse person, but I can’t be trusted so I usually order our groceries online so I can stick to our budget. But nothing gives me more joy than browsing a supermarket I’ve never been to before, especially in a foreign country – don’t even get me started!

When you go out for a meal, what do you typically order? My fiancé and I currently have a little sushi train obsession. My favourite is the aburi salmon.

ANGHARAD NEAL-WILLIAMSTell us about the groceries in your illustration. I grow most of my veggies, so I’ll just buy thing things I can’t grow, or specific ingredients for recipes I want to make. I’ve never had much luck growing carrots or coriander, so they’ve made it into my basket. I love cooking a simple pasta and a noodle stir fry. I also love to add spice to my cooking, so I’ve got my favourite crispy chilli oil and hot sauce in there too. Tuna is a weekly essential for me and my cat Pip, who is never far away from my desk while I’m drawing. I also love a treat, hence the ice-cream and chips. Bread is a weekly essential – I’ll pick it up from the bakery down the road and will usually choose rye or sourdough. I’ll always pick up some fresh peaches, grapes or whatever is in season from my local fruit shop.

What staples could we find in your kitchen? In the fridge you’ll always find lots of different fruits. I love snacking on them and adding them to my breakfast. Cheese is also an essential – parmesan, a classic tasty cheese for toasties, and something a little special, like a goats’ or blue cheese. In the pantry you’ll find a variety of pastas, coffee that I buy in bulk, sauces, dried noodles, and tinned and dried beans and lentils. My partner and I enjoy baking so there are a few different types of flour and other essentials like cocoa and sugars.

What would your last meal on Earth be? I’d start with a huge cheese platter with lots of different cheeses, crackers, olives and other nibbles, then go for a home-cooked meal: my mum’s homemade zucchini slice with salad using veggies from my garden. Growing up we would always have zucchini slice before a big event or an important day so I think it would be fitting. I’d add a side of hot chips because why not? I’d finish it off with a selection of my nana’s homemade slices including her lemon slice and chocolate hazelnut slice.

TEGAN IVERSENWhat groceries are in your illustration? I tried to include the most common items I pick up in a shop: some ’nanas, yoghurt, tomatoes, lemons, garlic, cans of tuna, corn thins, the list goes on. I seem to grab a can of chickpeas or beans every single time I hit the shops – I must think we go through them way quicker than we actually do, as there’s always an array of cans in the cupboard! We love hitting Preston market for a good shop, and love getting fruit and veg there, as well as a tasty shanklish and Vietnamese iced coffee for a treat. Oh, and a hot jam donut – yum!

When you’re eating out, what do you order? I’m a big hot chip lover, so typically anything involving a hot chippy is a big win for me. Otherwise, I love pasta, pizza, falafel, tacos, dumplings, sushi, eggplant parma and so much more. Basically, I love food and, to be honest, I’m not very fond of cooking, so eating out always sounds like a good idea to me!

When grocery shopping, are you a list person, or a browse person? I love a good shopping list. We have a notepad on the fridge to write items onto, although more often than not it’s in my phone. In saying that, I do tend to wander from the list. I’m a total sucker for a sale – half-price veggie chips? Heck yes. Two-for-one strawberry punnets? Why not? Multi-gummies on sale? I’d be silly not to.

When was the last time someone cooked you a delicious meal? I am incredibly lucky as my beautiful fiancé Alexander is a wonderful cook! He's always cooking us delish pasta, nachos or – my personal fave – his ricotta, haloumi and spinach pie. He cooked us a tasty pasta the other night. We have dins at the dining table my poppy built back in the day, with our food sat upon some placemats that I DIY collaged featuring gorg photos of Bowie from an old calendar. 

This feature comes straight from frankie issue 125. To nab a copy, swing past the frankie shop or visit one of our lovely stockists. For future issues, subscribe here.