The Dry Store Makeover: Building a Plant-Based Pantry That Works for Your Kitchen

A well-run dry store should make service easier, not turn every prep shift into a treasure hunt.

For foodservice kitchens, the best plant-based pantry is built around a small group of reliable products that can stretch across multiple menus. They need to store well, scale quickly, deliver the same result on every shift and help your team serve vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free diners without setting up a separate pot for every dietary request.

That is where Massel’s bulk range earns its shelf space.

This practical dry-store makeover shows where to place each product, how to use it and how to plan yields for cafés, restaurants, caterers, schools, universities and aged care kitchens.

Start with the five-zone shelf plan

Before ordering, divide your plant-based dry store into five working zones:

• Gravy and roast sauces
• Core stock powders
• White sauces
• Cheese-style sauces
• Back-up cartons and unopened stock

Keep the products you reach for most often between waist and shoulder height. Store reserve cartons lower down, clearly labelled with the delivery date. Put opened packs in sealed, food-safe containers where practical, while keeping the original label and best-before information easy to check.

All of these Massel products are ambient dry-store items. Keep them cool, dry and away from steam, direct sunlight and damp floors. The Plant Pantry product listings advise storing opened products below 20°C, resealing them tightly and using them within six months. Always follow the instructions and best-before date on the current pack.

Zone 1: Put your gravy where the roast service starts

Stock here

• Massel Vegan Brown Style Gravy : 1.5kg
• Massel Vegan Rich Roast Style Gravy : 1.5kg

These are your quick-service safety nets for schnitzels, roasts, mash, pies, sausages, vegetable bakes and plated mains. Both are plant based, vegan, dairy free and gluten free, with Low FODMAP credentials across the Massel gravy range.

The practical advantage is speed. You can mix the quantity you need rather than making a full pot from scratch, then adjust the consistency for plating, bain-marie service or takeaway meals. The powders are also freeze-thaw stable, which helps when your kitchen prepares sauces ahead for batch production.

Use Brown Style Gravy for everyday service: chips and gravy, pies, mashed potato, burgers and vegetable roasts. Keep Rich Roast Style Gravy nearby for Sunday roasts, catered functions and dishes that need deeper roast character.

Zone 2: Give stock powders the prime position

Stock here

• Massel Vegan Classic Stock Powder Vegetable : 2.5kg
• Massel Vegan Classic Stock Powder Chicken Style : 2.5kg
• Massel Vegan Classic Stock Powder Beef Style : 2.5kg

Treat these as your everyday flavour tools, not just soup ingredients.

The plant based vegetable stock works across risotto, couscous, lentils, vegetable soups, sauces and cooking water. The plant based chicken stock brings a lighter savoury note to noodle soups, creamy dishes, pies and plant-based chicken recipes. The plant based beef stock adds depth to braises, mushroom dishes, casseroles, pepper sauces and hearty gravies.

Each 2.5kg pack is designed for fast dilution. The published working rate for the Classic Stock Powder Vegetable is 18g powder per litre of boiling water, giving approximately 139 litres of stock per pack. That makes these useful stock powders for aged care, schools and other high-volume kitchens where you need consistent flavour without relying on a different cook’s idea of “a spoonful”.

For best results, weigh the powder during recipe development, then write the finished ratio into your kitchen recipe sheet. A calibrated scoop can speed up service once the standard has been tested.

Zone 3: Make béchamel your plant-based mother sauce

Stock here

• Massel Vegan Béchamel Sauce : 1.75kg

A good béchamel is one of the most useful products in a commercial kitchen. This dairy-free version gives you a smooth white sauce for:

• Lasagne and cannelloni
• Vegetable gratins
• Moussaka
• Creamy pasta
• Potato bakes
• Pie fillings
• Soubise-style and herb sauces

It also gives your team a consistent base for menu development. Add mustard, herbs, roasted garlic, stock, mushrooms or vegetables without having to rebuild the sauce from flour, fat and dairy alternatives every time.

The 1.75kg pack makes approximately 14 litres of prepared sauce, according to the product packaging. That is enough to plan batch production, portion control and menu costings without guessing how far the sauce will go.

For a kitchen serving vegan and gluten-free diners, using one clearly identified sauce mix is simpler than maintaining separate dairy, gluten-free and vegan béchamels. You still need clean utensils and sound cross-contact procedures, but the base recipe becomes much easier to control.

Zone 4: Keep the 4 Cheese Sauce beside the pasta station

Stock here

• Massel Vegan 4 Cheese Sauce Mix : 1.75kg

This is the product to reach for when the menu needs comfort, richness and a familiar cheese-style finish without dairy.

Use it for:

• Macaroni-style pasta dishes
• Loaded fries
• Nachos
• Vegetable bakes
• Pizza and pasta sauces
• Toasted sandwiches
• Creamy fillings and dipping sauces

The product packaging indicates approximately 12 litres of prepared sauce per 1.75kg pack. It is also bain-marie stable, making it suitable for buffets, events, catering and high-volume service where a sauce needs to hold without splitting quickly.

A plant based 4 cheese sauce also helps simplify menu planning. One sauce can serve vegan diners, vegetarian diners and customers avoiding dairy. If the finished dish also needs to be gluten free, pair it with gluten-free pasta, bread or toppings and manage the entire recipe: not just the sauce.

Your bulk yield-and-use reference

Use this table as a starting point for purchasing and batch planning. Confirm the current preparation instructions on each pack before finalising your kitchen recipe.

Massel product	Pack size	Planning yield	Useful applications
Vegan Brown Style Gravy	1.5kg	Up to 300 x 50mL serves; yield varies with dilution	Chips, pies, mash, roasts, schnitzels
Vegan Rich Roast Style Gravy	1.5kg	Approx. 15L or 300 x 50mL serves	Roast meals, catering, plated mains
Classic Stock Powder Vegetable	2.5kg	Approx. 139L at 18g per litre	Soups, risotto, vegetables, grains
Classic Stock Powder Chicken Style	2.5kg	Plan using the pack dilution rate	Pies, noodle broths, creamy sauces
Classic Stock Powder Beef Style	2.5kg	Plan using the pack dilution rate	Braises, casseroles, gravies, rich sauces
Vegan Béchamel Sauce	1.75kg	Approx. 14L prepared sauce	Lasagne, gratins, pasta, bakes
Vegan 4 Cheese Sauce Mix	1.75kg	Approx. 12L prepared sauce	Pasta, nachos, loaded fries, hot holding

A simple cost-per-serve formula

You do not need complicated software to cost these products accurately.

Use:

Pack cost ÷ finished litres = cost per litre

Then:

Cost per litre × portion size = sauce cost per serve

For gravy:

Pack cost ÷ 300 = cost per 50mL serve

Use your wholesale invoice price rather than a retail price, and include any additional ingredients added during finishing. Once you have the real cost per portion, it becomes easier to price a catering tray, set a school meal budget or compare a sauce across different menu items.

The allergen checklist before the product goes on the shelf

Massel’s foodservice range is designed to support vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free cooking, with Low FODMAP certifications listed across the range. The stock powders are also listed as free from common allergens including gluten, dairy, soy, egg and nuts.

Still, your kitchen’s process matters just as much as the product.

Before service, check that your team:

• Keeps the original packaging or product specification on file
• Checks each new delivery for updated allergen information
• Uses clean, labelled scoops and utensils
• Stores opened powders away from ingredients that may shed allergens
• Records the dilution and finishing ingredients in the recipe
• Does not add onion, garlic, wheat pasta or dairy to a dish labelled Low FODMAP or gluten free without checking the full recipe

A certified base makes dietary management easier, but the finished dish must meet the claim as well.

Final dry-store makeover checklist

Before you sign off the new layout, check:

• Gravy powders are stored together near the hot pass
• Vegetable, chicken-style and beef-style stocks are labelled and easy to reach
• Béchamel is positioned near pasta, bake and pie ingredients
• 4 Cheese Sauce is close to the pasta, snack or catering prep area
• Opened packs are sealed, dated and protected from moisture
• Reserve cartons are stored low, dry and off the floor
• Standard dilution ratios are written into kitchen recipes
• Cost per litre and cost per serve are recorded
• Allergen and Low FODMAP information is available to every shift
• Staff know which base to use for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free orders

The result is a smaller, smarter plant-based pantry: fewer separate recipes, less last-minute prep and more consistency from Monday breakfast through to Saturday night catering.

The Plant Pantry supplies Massel in bulk as part of its range of plant based catering supplies, bulk vegan ingredients and wholesale vegan food across Australia. Browse the Massel dry goods range, explore wholesale access, or visit plantpantry.com.au to start building a dry store that works harder for your kitchen.