Home Kitchen
How long does food actually keep in the fridge?
Most people either throw food away too early or keep it far too long. Here are sensible general guidelines for a fridge running at or below 4°C.
Read the answer → Question 2Why do my leftovers always go to waste?
Because they go in the back of the fridge and you forget they exist. That is the whole reason. It is not laziness, it is placement.
Read the answer → Question 3How do I cut my grocery bill without eating badly?
Not by buying cheaper food. By buying less food you never eat.
Read the answer → Question 4What is the right way to freeze food?
Freezing does not improve food. It pauses it. Whatever quality goes in is the best you will get out, so freeze things at their best, not when they are…
Read the answer → Question 5How do I plan meals without hating it by Wednesday?
Most meal plans fail because they are too ambitious. Seven new recipes, seven shopping lists, seven chances to give up.
Read the answer →Home Baker & Cottage Food Sellers
What has to go on a homemade food label?
The exact rules depend on where you live — cottage food laws vary by province, state and sometimes city. But nearly everywhere wants the same seven things.
Read the answer → Question 2How much should I charge for a custom cake?
Most home bakers charge roughly what the ingredients cost plus a bit, and then wonder why the business never feels worth it. Here is the honest…
Read the answer → Question 3Should I take a deposit, and how do I ask for it?
Yes. Always, on anything custom or dated.
Read the answer → Question 4What should I put in the box besides the cake?
Something that makes them order again. A cake gets eaten in a day. A card sits on the counter for a week.
Read the answer → Question 5What do I need for my first farmers market stall?
More than you think, and most of it is not the food.
Read the answer →Restaurants, Cafés & Bars
What food cost percentage should I be aiming for?
Everyone says thirty percent. It is right about half the time.
Read the answer → Question 2How do I actually lower my food cost?
Not by buying cheaper ingredients. That is the reflex and it is usually the wrong lever — it lowers quality, which lowers sales, which lowers everything.
Read the answer → Question 3What is prime cost, and why does everyone say it matters more?
Prime cost is food cost plus labour cost, divided by sales. It is the single most useful number in a restaurant, and most independents never calculate it.
Read the answer → Question 4How many staff should I schedule?
Schedule to your forecast, not to your habit. Most independents schedule the same shape every week because that is what last week looked like.
Read the answer → Question 5How do I train new staff without spending my whole week on it?
By writing it down once instead of explaining it forty times.
Read the answer →Food Trucks, Catering & Events
How do I price a catering job per head?
Add up everything, divide by guests, then add your margin. The mistake nearly everyone makes is stopping after the food.
Read the answer → Question 2Why do I keep losing catering jobs to cheaper quotes?
Sometimes you are genuinely more expensive. Often the other caterer is simply worse at maths and will lose money on the job. But assuming your price is…
Read the answer → Question 3What permits do I need for a food truck or catering business?
This varies more than almost anything else in food, so treat the list below as what to ask about rather than what applies to you.
Read the answer → Question 4What goes wrong on event day, and how do I prevent it?
The same six things, at almost every event.
Read the answer → Question 5Should I take this festival or event booking?
Run the number before you answer, because enthusiasm is a poor guide.
Read the answer →