Correctly storing food in a commercial fridge isn’t just about keeping it cold. Where you place different foods matters too, helping to reduce the risk of cross-contamination, maintain good airflow and make day-to-day stock management easier.

Restaurants, cafés, pubs, takeaways and every other type of food business share the same basic rules for organising a fridge safely and efficiently, so here’s a quick guide to getting it right.

Top Shelves – Ready-to-Eat and Cooked Foods

The upper shelves are generally the best place for ready-to-eat foods and cooked foods that won’t need any further cooking before they’re served.

This could include prepared dishes, cooked meats, desserts and other ready-to-eat items.

Keeping these foods above raw ingredients reduces the risk of juices or contaminants from raw food coming into contact with food that’s ready to serve.

What About the Middle Shelves?

There isn’t a universal rule that says particular foods must always go on the middle shelves of every commercial fridge. How you organise them will depend on the foods you handle, your food safety procedures and the type of refrigeration you’re using.

The important principle is to keep raw foods appropriately separated from ready-to-eat foods, with raw meat and poultry stored below ready-to-eat food to reduce the risk of cross-contamination. Whatever you’re storing, cover or contain it appropriately and label it clearly, as required by your food safety procedures.

Bottom Shelves – Raw Meat, Poultry and Fish

Store raw meat, poultry and fish below ready-to-eat foods, ideally in suitable covered or sealed containers.

Keeping raw products at the bottom helps prevent drips or spillages contaminating foods stored underneath them.

In a busy commercial kitchen handling significant quantities of raw and ready-to-eat food, separate refrigeration may be appropriate and can make safe storage considerably easier.

Don’t Overload Your Commercial Fridge

It can be tempting to squeeze in just one more container, particularly after a busy delivery, but a commercial fridge needs space for cold air to circulate.

Avoid packing products tightly together or blocking internal fans and air vents, because poor airflow can create uneven temperatures within the cabinet and make the refrigeration system work harder to maintain the required temperature.

If your fridge is regularly packed to capacity, it may also be a sign that you’ve outgrown it.

Cool Cooked Food Quickly

Cool cooked food that needs chilling as quickly as possible, then move it into the fridge, following your food safety procedures. Avoid leaving food that requires chilling standing around at room temperature unnecessarily.

Remember FIFO – First In, First Out

Good fridge organisation isn’t only about which shelf something sits on.

Using FIFO (First In, First Out) helps prevent older stock disappearing behind newer deliveries. Rotate stock so that items with the shortest dates are used first, alongside appropriate date labelling and regular stock checks.

It’s a simple habit that can help reduce both food waste and unnecessary cost.

Leave Room for Air to Circulate

Try not to push containers tightly against the internal walls of the refrigerator or obstruct the areas where chilled air enters and circulates.

Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your particular cabinet, since airflow design can vary between different types and models of commercial refrigeration.

And Don’t Forget the Temperature

Even a perfectly organised fridge won’t keep food safely chilled if it isn’t maintaining the correct temperature.

As a general rule, chilled food requiring temperature control must be kept at 8°C or below in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, while the Food Standards Agency recommends setting refrigeration at 5°C or below to provide a margin for temperature fluctuations.

We’ll be covering commercial fridge temperatures in a separate guide, including why fridge temperatures fluctuate and what to check if your commercial refrigerator is running too warm.

For further information on chilling food safely, temperature control and food hygiene in a commercial setting, visit the Food Standards Agency’s food hygiene guidance for businesses.

A Well-Organised Fridge Makes a Difference

Keeping raw and ready-to-eat foods appropriately separated, allowing plenty of room for cold air to circulate and maintaining good stock rotation can make a commercial fridge safer, easier to manage and more efficient to use.

And if you’re constantly struggling to find enough room, it might be time to consider whether your current refrigeration still suits the demands of your business.

At Anglia Catering Equipment, we supply a wide range of new, graded and reconditioned commercial refrigeration, including upright fridges, undercounter refrigeration, prep counters and specialist chilled storage, with options to suit commercial kitchens of all sizes.

Call us on 01379 641223 and we’ll help you find what you need.