Office pantry checklist: what to stock, and how much
A working checklist for admin teams, with a simple way to size quantities from headcount instead of guessing.
5 min read · Updated September 2026
Pantry is the supply category most likely to embarrass you. Stationery running low is an inconvenience; the tea running out at 4pm on a Monday is something everyone notices at once.
It also happens to be the easiest category to get right, because consumption is almost entirely a function of headcount. Below is what to stock and how to size it.
The core checklist
Tea bags and loose leaf (plus green tea — usually 10–15% of tea consumption)
Instant coffee, and filter or premix if you have a machine
Sugar, sugar sachets and a sugar-free option
Creamer or milk powder, fresh or UHT milk if you prefer real milk
Biscuits and a namkeen or dry-snack option
Packaged drinking water — bottles, or 20L cans with a dispenser
Paper cups, stirrers and tissues
Dishwash liquid, scrub pads and cleaning cloths for the pantry sink
Bin liners sized to your pantry bin
Sizing it from headcount
The working rule most offices land on is two to three hot drinks per person per working day. For a 100-person office on 22 working days, that is roughly 4,400 to 6,600 cups a month — which sets your tea, coffee, sugar, creamer and cup quantities in one calculation.
Split the hot-drink total roughly 60:40 between tea and coffee to start, then correct it after the first month against what actually got consumed. Almost every office finds its own ratio is different, and it is stable once you know it.
Water is simpler: about one to one and a half litres per person per working day, including what goes into meetings.
Keep a separate visitor line
If you host clients, do not upgrade the whole pantry. Keep a small, better-quality visitor stock — a decent coffee, branded water, better biscuits — separate from everyday supplies. It costs a fraction of upgrading everything and it shows up exactly where it matters.
Put it on a fixed delivery
The reason pantries run dry is not budget, it is ownership — nobody notices until something is gone. A fixed monthly or fortnightly delivery of a standing list removes the problem entirely, because nobody has to remember to order.
Share your headcount and we will size a first month for you, then correct it against what you actually use.
More guides
REQUEST A QUOTE
Send us your list. Get a price within one working day.
Item names and rough quantities are enough to start. If it is easier, send a photo of what you currently stock.
A priced quote within one working day
Better rates on orders above ₹5,000
GST invoice and delivery challan on every order
No minimum on most items, no account setup
Prefer to talk? Call or WhatsApp us.
Tell us what you need
We reply within one working day.
We use your details only to respond to this enquiry.