Sizing Fridges for Your Delivery Pattern
I’ve sat in too many school kitchens where the “state-of-the-art” smart fridge is currently nothing more than an expensive, blinking…
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 Forty-eight Hour Exclusion Rule
I remember standing in a primary school kitchen three years ago, watching a cook—who looked absolutely grey around the edges—push…
Counter Service Versus Family Service
I remember standing in a secondary school kitchen three years ago, watching a team of three exhausted staff members try…
The Complete Guide to Stock Control
I’ve spent half my career walking into kitchens where the “system” is a frantic scribble on a piece of masking…
Why Three Weeks Beats One
I remember standing in a school kitchen back in 2014, the air thick with the smell of overcooked pasta and…
One Combi Can Replace Three Pieces of Kit
I remember standing in a secondary school kitchen three years ago, watching a chef try to juggle three different pans…
Personal Hygiene Rules and the Reasons Behind Them
I’ve spent sixteen years walking into kitchens where the air is thick with the smell of industrial degreaser and the…
Cooking in Waves Rather Than All at Once
I’ve sat in too many humid, shouting kitchens to believe the nonsense that you need a complex, minute-by-minute spreadsheet to…
Combi Ovens and Whether You Need One
I’ve spent far too many Tuesday mornings standing in sweltering, cramped kitchens, watching a stressed-out cook struggle with a piece…
The Complete Guide to Pest Control
I once stood in a school kitchen at 6:30 AM, the air smelling of floor polish and stale bread, watching…