Stock control starts at the back door. You check deliveries, store chilled and frozen items first and rotate stock so older items are used first, known as FIFO (first in, first out). Clear labels on opened or decanted goods mean nothing is used past its date.
Why it matters
Poor rotation means out-of-date food, lost money and unsafe dishes. Organised stores also make ingredients quicker to find.
Key ideas
Checking deliveries
Check temperatures, packaging and dates, and tell the chef about any problem before the driver leaves.
Rotating stock
New stock goes behind older stock. Still check dates, as a newer delivery can have a shorter one.
Dry store rules
Keep dry goods in sealed, labelled containers on shelves off the floor. Watch for pests: droppings, gnawed packets or spills.
Step by step
- 1
Check the delivery against the order.
- 2
Store chilled and frozen goods first, then dry goods.
- 3
Move older stock forward and put new stock behind.
- 4
Remove outer cardboard if your kitchen does this.
- 5
Label opened or decanted items with their name and dates.
- 6
Report short-dated, damaged or missing items.
Do
- Store heavy items on lower shelves.
- Clean up spills in the stores immediately.
- Keep the allergen information when decanting.
Common mistakes
- Don't put new stock in front because it's quicker.
- Don't store anything on the floor.
- Don't use dented, swollen or leaking cans.
The situation
A big dry goods delivery arrives before lunch, and the quickest spot for the new flour sacks is in front of the open ones.
What a professional does
You pull the older sacks forward and put the new ones behind. You check the open flour bin is sealed and labelled, then tell the chef it's all away.
Useful phrases
“Chef, this cream has two days left. Shall we still accept it?”
“The delivery's away, chef. Chilled and frozen went in first.”
Pro tip
Keep a marker pen in the stores to date boxes as you put them away.
Quick check
What does FIFO mean?
Think about it, then show the answer
First in, first out: new stock goes behind older stock so the oldest is used first.