From Advice to Improvement Notice to Court
I remember standing in a school kitchen three years ago, the air thick with the smell of overcooked pasta and…
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.
A Kitchen First Aid Kit and Blue Plasters
I’ve spent sixteen years walking into kitchens where the first aid kit is tucked behind a stack of flour sacks,…
Regenerating Meals at a Satellite Site
I remember standing in a tiny, sweltering prep room last Tuesday, watching a junior chef try to cross-reference an allergen…
The Complete Guide to Catering Procurement
If you think a “complete guide to catering procurement” needs to be a hundred-page binder filled with corporate jargon about…
Vegetarian Meals That Are Not Cheese Every Day
I remember standing in a secondary school kitchen three years ago, watching a frantic midday service where the “meat-free” option…
Getting the Rating Back Up
I’ve stood in too many kitchens where the manager is staring at a low score on the door like it’s…
Hot Boxes and the Temperature Clock
I remember standing in a humid school kitchen three years ago, watching a delivery driver unload three dozen steaming trays…
The Complete Guide to Reducing Food Waste
I’ve spent sixteen years walking into kitchens where the “solution” to waste is always some expensive, high-tech tracking software that…
Steam Burns From Combi Doors
I remember standing in a secondary school kitchen during a Tuesday lunch rush—steam everywhere, the frantic clatter of trays, and…
Dairy Alternatives and the Calcium Gap
I remember standing in a school kitchen three years ago, watching a frantic midday service where the “dairy-free” pasta was…