# Manor Lords Food, Market and Firewood Guide
> This guide explains how food is consumed, how markets and granaries interact, and why firewood logistics work differently from food. It is for players who want to keep settlements supplied efficiently without wasting stalls or hauling distance.
- **Game:** Manor Lords
- **Category:** Getting Started
- **Author:** LongBeam (https://guides-factory.com/about)
- **Difficulty:** Beginner
- **Reading time:** 9 min
- **Published:** 2026-08-31
- **Updated:** 2026-08-31
- **Tags:** clothing, firewood, food consumption, food variety, granary, markets, pantry, supply and demand
- **Adapted from:** [Manor Lords Guide - How Markets and Food Consumption Work](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-MihPJ4VQU)
- **Canonical URL:** https://guides-factory.com/guides/manor-lords-food-market-and-firewood-guide
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You will be able to manage food, firewood, and other household supplies in Manor Lords efficiently by understanding how the game handles storage, consumption, and market bonuses. This guide explains the rules of food use, how market and storage locations affect settlement needs, and why firewood and clothing operate under different mechanics.
## Quick answer
| What | Answer |
|---|---|
| Food sources | granary, food stalls, pantry |
| Monthly food use | 1 food per family per month |
| Firewood use | 1 per burgage plot per month |
| Food variety bonus | 4 food types |
| Clothing consumption | not consumed, only reserved |
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## Set up the three food storage paths
Food in Manor Lords is tracked through three main sources: the **granary**, **food stalls**, and **pantries**. Granaries and food stalls hold stocks that are consumed first, while pantries serve as a backup supply for each household or production building.
- **Granaries** store bulk food reserves centrally for the settlement.
- **Food stalls** distribute food types for direct market access, affecting supply and demand bonuses.
- **Pantries** are smaller storages in sites like burgage plots, communal ovens, forager huts, hunting camps, and fisherman's huts. Pantry food only becomes the active supply when both granaries and food stalls are empty.
When the game calculates food consumption, it counts all types stored in granaries and food stalls together for equal distribution. Pantry stocks are ignored in this calculation until the main stores run out.
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## Understand monthly food consumption
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## Use granaries and stalls before relying on pantries
When both granaries and market stalls have food available, the game combines their stocks for each food type, consuming from the granary first. If there is a food type only in a food stall, it will be used for that type. Pantry food is ignored until all granaries and market stalls have been depleted.
For example, if you have meat split between granary and stall, the granary quantity is consumed first. If eggs exist only in the market stall, the eggs will be taken purely from there. When all central storage is empty, pantry food becomes the active supply; each food type is then consumed equally from the pantries.
When granaries and stalls are empty, pantry food is consumed in equal parts among each available type. This fallback ensures households aren't left hungry, though the main stores must be empty first.
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## Plan around food variety bonuses
Food variety bonuses affect approval rates and supply/demand systems. The settlement gains a 100% food variety bonus when four distinct **food types** are available in market stalls; extra types beyond four do not increase the bonus further.
| Food Type | Example Source | Contributes to Variety Bonus? |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | Forager hut, market stall | Yes |
| Bread | Communal oven, market stall | Yes |
| Berries | Foraging, market stall | Yes |
| Vegetables | Fields, market stall | Yes |
| Apples | Orchards, market stall | Yes (included as extra, bonus capped at 4) |
| Honey | Apiary, market stall | Removed in recent versions |
The system counts all stored foods to satisfy the four-type requirement, enabling flexible combinations to maintain the bonus. Any set of four types in stalls triggers the full bonus. The supply and demand panel lets you check which types are in play.
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## Separate food rules from firewood and clothing
Food is distributed automatically; citizens do not have to fetch it. The **firewood** mechanic is different — each **burgage plot** uses 1 firewood per month, and households must physically carry firewood from the nearest **storehouse** or market stall, making its placement critical.
Firewood is always taken from storehouses before market stalls, so simply stocking a stall is not enough for efficient distribution. Placing storehouses near households prevents wasted travel time.
The **clothing** system is also distinct: **clothing** (including leather and tier 2 goods like boots) is not consumed, only reserved. As long as clothing is stocked, families benefit from supply and demand bonuses, which affect approval and unlock burgage upgrades rather than contributing to ongoing consumption.
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## Place logistics where people actually need them
Before you commit
- **Pantry food is only consumed as a last resort.** Some players expected pantry food would be used before checking granaries or markets, but the game logic currently waits for central stores to be empty first.
- **Firewood distribution greatly benefits from proximity.** When firewood stocks are closer to remote households, walking time is reduced and supply is more reliable, even if stalls exist on the outskirts.
- **Large settlements often need more than one market or nearby granary for distant burgage plots.** For firewood especially, consider local storage or market stalls on the fringes to support outlying households.
- **Rare food types may rot if not circulated.** If stalls never pull small-quantity foods like special meats or new veggies into the market, these goods may spoil before they're ever consumed.
- **Honey no longer counts as a food type in the current version.** If you're seeing honey in the example panels, remember that it's now excluded from food consumption and the variety bonus calculations.
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## FAQ
### Do burgage pantry foods get eaten before market food?
No. Food in granaries and market stalls is used first, and pantry food only gets consumed when there is nothing left in those other storage sources. When pantry food is used, it follows the same equal-type logic as other food sources only after the granary and stall supplies are empty.
### How many food types do I need for the full variety bonus?
Four food types are enough to reach the full food variety bonus. Extra food types beyond that do not increase the bonus further. The system counts up to four available types in market stalls for the supply and demand effect.
### Does clothing get consumed like food or firewood?
Clothing does not get consumed in the same way as food. Leather and tier 2 clothes are reserved, which means they remain available rather than being used up every month. The benefit comes from having them stocked, not from constantly replacing them.
### Why does firewood feel different from food distribution?
Firewood has to be physically carried by a household member, so placement matters a lot more. Food in granaries and stalls is effectively handled without people walking to pick it up. That makes firewood logistics more sensitive to distance and storehouse placement.