10 Tips for a stress-free kitchen

Some of our staff at Rise bakery working hard in the kitchen

Some of our staff at Rise bakery working hard in the kitchen

Kitchens can be a busy, stressful place. No wonder all those chefs on TV are always shouting at each other!

At Rise, working with vulnerable adults, we think it's really important for our kitchen to be a safe, happy place. We thought that we'd share some of our wisdom with you!

If you want to learn more about our amazing training programmes for homeless people, or to buy our delicious brownies, head to our main page.

1.       Store any sticky or drippy food items such as honey and sauces on an easy to clean surface.

2.       Group kitchen objects by purpose, e.g. all baking equipment in one area.

3.       Create a cooking area around the oven, where all pots and utensils are in easy reach.

4.       Have a roll of sticky labels on hand so you can label and date opened containers of food and keep on top of what’s in your kitchen and when it should be used by!

5.       Store opened dry ingredients in strong waterproof containers that fit next to each other easily, ensuring maximum space.

6.       Organise knife sharpening in to your weekly/monthly schedule and avoid frustration and possible injury when you’re cooking in a rush and the knives are blunt.

7.       Create a recycling section near your general waste bin with draws specifically for different materials, this way recycling will become second nature!

8.       Buy some separate colour coded plastic boards for raw and cooked meats, fish and veg to ensure no risk of contamination or food poisoning.

9.       Wash out jars after the contents have been used and use again to store nuts, seeds and spices.

10.   When chopping vegetables, keep a small bowl on the surface for trimmings, to later be transferred to the bin (or compost).