First in First Out, Actually Enforced
I’ve walked into enough school kitchens to know that when I ask about how stock rotation should be managed, I’m…
Author: Ottoline Achebe-Kirkwood
Almost every serious food safety incident I have investigated was preventable by something small and boring that nobody had time for. I write about the controls that actually reduce risk — allergen communication, temperature discipline, cleaning that follows a sequence — and I am honest that a kitchen serving four hundred meals on limited staffing cannot do everything. Tell me what you can realistically sustain, and I will tell you where to put it.
Working With a Dietitian on a Medical Diet
I remember standing in a school kitchen three years ago, the air thick with the smell of overcooked pasta and…
The Complete Guide to Kitchen Design
I’ve spent twenty years walking into kitchens where the floor plan looks beautiful on a glossy architect’s rendering but is…
Facilities Staff Are Legally Entitled to
I once walked into a school kitchen that looked immaculate on the surface—shiny stainless steel, organized prep stations, the works.…
Catering a School Fair Legally
I’ve stood in the middle of a frantic school hall during a Year 6 leavers’ breakfast, the air thick with…
Wraparound Provision and Its Menus
I once walked into a school kitchen at 7:15 AM, the air thick with the smell of burnt toast and…
The Complete Guide to Costing School Meals
I’ve sat in enough cramped, steam-filled school kitchens to know that when someone offers you a “complete guide to costing…
Where Staff Change and Where Whites Are Washed
I once walked into a primary school kitchen where the staff looked like they were ready for a high-end restaurant…
Accommodating Religious Diets Properly
I once stood in a school kitchen during a mid-morning rush, watching a frantic cook try to cross-reference a handwritten…
Checking a Delivery and Refusing One
I can still smell the damp cardboard and the faint, sickly scent of warm milk from a delivery I inspected…