Food Storage

Buying food storage

Good food storage is quiet infrastructure: it keeps ingredients safe, cuts waste and makes a kitchen run to a system. Spend a little thought here and stock rotation, hygiene audits and prep all get easier.

Gastronorm is the language of a professional kitchen: standard pan sizes, 1/1, 1/2, 1/3 and so on, that fit fridges, prep wells, bain-maries and shelving interchangeably. Build your storage around gastronorm and everything stacks, swaps and fits. Add sealed containers and ingredient bins for dry goods, and vacuum packing where you want to extend shelf life or cook sous-vide.

For shelving, match the material to the room. Stainless steel is the standard for wet or cold areas. Polymer or wire shelving suits dry stores and walk-ins, and antimicrobial options help in high-care areas. Whatever you choose, plan for stock rotation, first in first out, because storage that does not support rotation quietly costs you money.

Food Storage: common questions

What is gastronorm and why does it matter?

Gastronorm, or GN, is a set of standard pan sizes used across professional kitchens. A 1/1 pan is the full size; halves, thirds and quarters divide it down. Because the sizes are standard, the same pan fits your fridge, your prep counter, your bain-marie and your shelving. Standardising on gastronorm means everything interchanges, which saves space and time.

What containers should I store food in?

Sealed, food-grade, stackable containers with clear sides so you can see the contents and label them. Gastronorm-compatible containers slot into your existing kit. Keep raw and ready-to-eat separate, date-label everything, and choose containers that survive the dishwasher and the freezer, because ones that crack or warp get thrown away.

How should I set up shelving in a cold room or store?

Leave airflow around and under everything, keep the bottom shelf off the floor, and store raw below cooked so nothing drips onto ready-to-eat food. Use adjustable shelving so you can re-space it as your stock changes, and pick stainless or polymer for cold and wet areas so it does not corrode.

Is vacuum packing worth it?

If you want to extend shelf life, cut waste, portion ahead or cook sous-vide, yes. Vacuum packing removes the air that lets food spoil, so prepped items last longer and freeze better without freezer burn. It pays for itself quickly in a kitchen that preps ahead or buys in bulk.

How do I organise storage for a hygiene inspection?

Date-label and rotate on first-in first-out, store raw below cooked, keep everything off the floor and covered, and make your labelling obvious to anyone walking in. Clear containers and a tidy, systematic store are half the battle: inspectors read a well-run store as a sign the whole kitchen is well-run.

How quickly can you deliver storage?

Fast-moving containers and gastronorm we hold in our own warehouse go next working day when ordered before the cut-off. Shelving and larger items may be ordered in, so we will confirm the lead time before you commit.