Fire Suppression Above the Range
I remember standing in a school kitchen back in 2012, the air thick with the smell of burnt toast 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.
The Chopping Board Is Not the Only Route
I’ve spent sixteen years walking into kitchens where the staff are exhausted, the budget is non-existent, and the lunch rush…
The Complete Guide to Hygiene Ratings
I’ve walked into enough kitchens to know that the moment I ask to see your temperature logs, the atmosphere changes.…
Raising Uptake by Fixing the Queue
I’ve sat in too many training rooms watching consultants push expensive, shiny new digital apps and complex “culture-building” seminars as…
Salt Targets for Children Are Lower Than People Think
I’ve spent half my career standing in steaming school kitchens, watching staff juggle three different timers while trying to get…
Funding Streams and How They Are Claimed
I remember standing in a kitchen in South London three years ago, watching a catering manager stare at a spreadsheet…
Free Sugars and Where They Hide
I’ve sat in enough school kitchens during the lunchtime rush to know that when I start talking about nutritional guidelines,…
Grease in the Ductwork Is a Fire Risk
I’ve stood in enough school kitchens to know that when I look up, I’m rarely looking at a clean piece…
The Complete Guide to Special Diets
I remember standing in a school kitchen three years ago, watching a frantic midday service where the staff were trying…
Calibrating a Probe Takes Two Minutes
I remember walking into a secondary school kitchen three years ago during a lunch rush; the chaos was palpable, but…