Frequently Asked Questions

Exposure to heat can bring out the vitamins in some foods and diminish them in others. At Firepot, we oven-cook a whole meal as you would at home, and then dry it slowly using warm air. Ovens reach a much higher temperature than our dryers (which operate at around 68 celsius) and, as such, the drying process has no bearing on the nutritional content of cooked ingredients – any effect heat has on nutritional value takes place while the food is being cooked, not while it is being dried. 

We intentionally set out to design a range of meals that could be rehydrated and eaten straight from the pouch wherever you are in the world, just by adding boiling water. However, rehydration does take longer at higher altitudes, and heat cools faster than normal in sub-zero conditions.

This really depends on the portion size and the meal you choose. For a regular portion, the maximum total volume required is 500ml, whereas our largest meal size (the extra-large portions) rehydrates to 800ml. In both cases you will need to leave room for stirring.

Depending on the portion size you have chosen, you will need between 280 and 600ml to rehydrate your Firepot.

You can rehydrate your meal in one of two ways:

1. To eat directly from the pouch, simply boil the required amount of hot water, pour it in, seal the pouch using the ziplock at the top, stir and wait.

2. To cook your meal in a pan, tip the food into the pan, add cold water, bring to the boil, turn off the heat and wait.

You can use cold water to rehydrate Firepot, but it takes about one hour. We know ocean rowers and ultra-runners who routinely do this very successfully.

There could be a number of reasons that expedition style meals are a little crunchy while you're waiting for the water to fully absorb. Factors include air temperature, ingredients, and your chosen method of rehydration.

The calorie content of our food varies across the range: we make meals that are nutritionally balanced and great-tasting instead of choosing a calorie target and then adding high-calorie ingredients until we hit that target. 

Our range of main meals extends from 500kcal up to 635kcal for the standard portion size, and from 750kcal up to 940kcal for the extra large portion size.

Our standard pouch of food (105-135g) will serve one hungry person. These are not the 300g portions you get in a packet of wet food, nor the ungenerous portions you get from some of our competitors. When rehydrated, these weigh in at a hefty 500g or more — perfect for a satisfying and generous meal at the start or end of a long day.

For each of our menu options we also offer an extra large serving size (160-200g dry) which is ideal for more calorie-demanding expeditions and outdoor pursuits.

The process of drying food is not what determines whether a meal is healthy or not. Firepot's dehydrated meals are a healthy option because of our commitment to using all-natural ingredients and avoiding chemicals and artificial additives. 

Both processes involve removing the water from food to preserve it. Freeze-drying involves freezing the food to a very low temperature and drying it in a vacuum to remove moisture. Dehydration involves passing warm air over the surface of the food to remove moisture.

On the whole, that is correct, but the method of drying is not the only influencing factor. 

As of the end of April 2023, most of our meals have a five year 'best before' date. This doesn’t mean that the food won't last longer than five years, but we would recommend using it in that window to get the best-tasting result.

Yes, it can take a little longer. Most freeze-dried meals state seven or eight minutes on the pouch, but in reality it often takes ten minutes or more. We suggest you wait 15 minutes for a Firepot meal to rehydrate. For good things, you often have to wait a little longer. 

Freeze-dryers are large, expensive pieces of equipment, and they require a lot of energy. As such, both the equipment and the process are expensive. However, because this is typically done on such a large scale, ingredients can be bought in bulk at a low-cost.

At Firepot, our unique dehydration technology uses an altogether more gentle and less energy-intensive process. However, what we might save on energy, we then put into our kitchen — using high quality, fresh ingredients, and cooking by hand. Our kitchen staff are trained chefs, not scientists or engineers.

Yes; dehydration is a slow, gentle process, which consumes far less energy than freeze-drying and requires less complex equipment.

Broadly speaking, expedition food falls into three main categories, each with different characteristics: wet food, freeze-dried food, and dehydrated meals. Wet food is more onerous to carry, whereas the dried options are lightweight and so better suited to longer expeditions.

The process of drying food is not what determines whether a meal is healthy or not. Firepot's dehydrated meals are a healthy option because of our commitment to using all-natural ingredients and avoiding chemicals and artificial additives. 

The Firepot range now offers 11 recipes for our vegan customers, and we have nine recipes which are gluten-free. In some cases we are able to adapt our recipes to suit other dietary requirements. For example, we have developed a keto range for previous customers, removed sugars and other ingredients, catered to FODMAP diets, and adjusted portion sizes. Please contact us if you wish to discuss any specific requirements.

Our yellow pouches are made up of layers of aluminium film and plastic. They offer a good shelf-life and double up as a handy bowl for your food. But the same elements which make these materials so attractive are also what make them detrimental to the environment - mixed materials can't be thrown into your household recycling.

When unfilled, our combined pouch + label weight comes in at 17g for the yellow bags and 10g for the compostable bags, which are a little smaller.

We offer two main packaging options. The yellow Firepot bags are made of mixed materials, making them waterproof and ideal for rehydrating your food and then eating directly from the pouch. These are particularly popular among customers doing water-based expeditions or activities and can be returned to us for recycling through the Firepot Recycle Scheme.

As of the end of April 2023, most of our meals have a five year 'best before' date. This doesn’t mean that the food won't last longer than five years, but we would recommend using it in that window to get the best-tasting result.

You have the right to return your meals to us within 14 days from the date of purchase.

Please send your meals back to us at Farm Office, Lower Denhay Farm, Denhay Lane, Broadoak, Dorset, DT6 5NW, along with a note of your original order number. A refund will be issued upon receipt.

For more on our returns policy, please see our full terms and conditions.

We are more than happy for locals to collect meals from us, but please be aware that we do not handle cash on the premesis. Just let us know when you would like to pick-up when you place your order and we will do our best to accommodate you.

Yes. If you know you are unlikely to be in when your package arrives, you can add a note to your order during checkout for the courier or post person.

Delivery to the UK costs £4.00 for orders up to £30. Delivery is free for all orders to UK addresses over £30. Please see our shipping page for more details.

We send all our parcels using DPD's next day delivery service, although other delivery options are available at checkout.

We aim to dispatch within 24h of receiving your order, but this can be stock dependent. If you know that your delivery is time-sensitive, please contact us and/or leave us a note at checkout, and we will do what we can to help get your meals to you on time. 

There are more details on our shipping page.

Exporting food has become more complicated since Brexit. The safest way to get hold of our food internationally is to order through one of our retailers. There's a list of our stockists in Europe and further afield here.

No problem. If you are in the UK, take a look here to see where you can pick up your Firepot meals locally. We would encourage you to ring ahead if you are making an express trip to ensure the shop has what you need in stock.

If you are an international customer, you may find that these retailers are able to help you.

The best person to speak to is our Sales Agent, Steve Walton, using the details below:

firepot@northcol.co.uk / 0191 427 4782

No problem. If you are in the UK, take a look here to see where you can pick up your Firepot meals locally. We would encourage you to ring ahead if you are making an express trip to ensure the shop has what you need in stock.

If you are an international customer, you may find that these retailers are able to help you.

We try to support good causes where we can and are always on the look-out for interesting expeditions. Please use our contact page to get in touch if you are looking for sponsorship, and make it clear how many meals you need. 

Our standard pouch of food (105-135g) will serve one hungry person. These are not the 300g portions you get in a packet of wet food, nor the ungenerous portions you get from some of our competitors. When rehydrated, these weigh in at a hefty 500g or more — perfect for a satisfying and generous meal at the start or end of a long day.

For each of our menu options we also offer an extra large serving size (160-200g dry) which is ideal for more calorie-demanding expeditions and outdoor pursuits.

Both processes involve removing the water from food to preserve it. Freeze-drying involves freezing the food to a very low temperature and drying it in a vacuum to remove moisture. Dehydration involves passing warm air over the surface of the food to remove moisture.

Yes, it can take a little longer. Most freeze-dried meals state seven or eight minutes on the pouch, but in reality it often takes ten minutes or more. We suggest you wait 15 minutes for a Firepot meal to rehydrate. For good things, you often have to wait a little longer. 

Freeze-dryers are large, expensive pieces of equipment, and they require a lot of energy. As such, both the equipment and the process are expensive. However, because this is typically done on such a large scale, ingredients can be bought in bulk at a low-cost.

At Firepot, our unique dehydration technology uses an altogether more gentle and less energy-intensive process. However, what we might save on energy, we then put into our kitchen — using high quality, fresh ingredients, and cooking by hand. Our kitchen staff are trained chefs, not scientists or engineers.

Yes; dehydration is a slow, gentle process, which consumes far less energy than freeze-drying and requires less complex equipment.

Broadly speaking, expedition food falls into three main categories, each with different characteristics: wet food, freeze-dried food, and dehydrated meals. Wet food is more onerous to carry, whereas the dried options are lightweight and so better suited to longer expeditions.