A portable vacuum food storage system comprising: a container to store food; a container air valve fixed in a first wall of the container, a counter face extending around the container air valve, the container air valve comprising a resilient valve member mounted externally to the container over an air passage communicating with an inside of the container, an inner side of the valve member normally closing the air passage, wherein application of a reduced pressure to an outer side of the valve member deflects the valve member outwardly to open the air passage; a cordless vacuum unit including: a vacuum nozzle with a seal for engaging the counter face so that engagement of the seal with the counter face closes an interface chamber located between the container and the vacuum nozzle, the seal comprising resilient material to resiliently suspend the vacuum unit in a stable manner for hand-free operation whereby the weight of the vacuum unit urges the seal against the counter face; one of a projection and a complementary recess formed on the vacuum nozzle and the other of the projection and complementary recess formed on the container for locating the vacuum unit on the container, the projection and recess bounding the interface chamber; a motorised vacuum pump for drawing air through the vacuum nozzle; a control circuit including an on-off power switch to selectively provide power to the motorised vacuum pump; a vacuum sensor in the control circuit to generate a vacuum signal indicative of a vacuum level within the container; a pressure-equalising valve openable to provide a channel between the interface chamber and ambient air, and wherein the control circuit further comprises a controller that abruptly opens the pressure-equalising valve after receiving a vacuum signal indicative of a predefined vacuum level within the container. a container to store food; a container air valve fixed in a first wall of the container, a counter face extending around the container air valve, the container air valve comprising a resilient valve member mounted externally to the container over an air passage communicating with an inside of the container, an inner side of the valve member normally closing the air passage, wherein application of a reduced pressure to an outer side of the valve member deflects the valve member outwardly to open the air passage; a cordless vacuum unit including: a vacuum nozzle with a seal for engaging the counter face so that engagement of the seal with the counter face closes an interface chamber located between the container and the vacuum nozzle, the seal comprising resilient material to resiliently suspend the vacuum unit in a stable manner for hand-free operation whereby the weight of the vacuum unit urges the seal against the counter face; one of a projection and a complementary recess formed on the vacuum nozzle and the other of the projection and complementary recess formed on the container for locating the vacuum unit on the container, the projection and recess bounding the interface chamber; a motorised vacuum pump for drawing air through the vacuum nozzle; a control circuit including an on-off power switch to selectively provide power to the motorised vacuum pump; a vacuum sensor in the control circuit to generate a vacuum signal indicative of a vacuum level within the container; a pressure-equalising valve openable to provide a channel between the interface chamber and ambient air, and wherein the control circuit further comprises a controller that abruptly opens the pressure-equalising valve after receiving a vacuum signal indicative of a predefined vacuum level within the container. a vacuum nozzle with a seal for engaging the counter face so that engagement of the seal with the counter face closes an interface chamber located between the container and the vacuum nozzle, the seal comprising resilient material to resiliently suspend the vacuum unit in a stable manner for hand-free operation whereby the weight of the vacuum unit urges the seal against the counter face; one of a projection and a complementary recess formed on the vacuum nozzle and the other of the projection and complementary recess formed on the container for locating the vacuum unit on the container, the projection and recess bounding the interface chamber; a motorised vacuum pump for drawing air through the vacuum nozzle; a control circuit including an on-off power switch to selectively provide power to the motorised vacuum pump; a vacuum sensor in the control circuit to generate a vacuum signal indicative of a vacuum level within the container; a pressure-equalising valve openable to provide a channel between the interface chamber and ambient air, and wherein the control circuit further comprises a controller that abruptly opens the pressure-equalising valve after receiving a vacuum signal indicative of a predefined vacuum level within the container.