Meat Storage Guidelines
Follow our handy tips guide to make sure you're storing your meat correctly and safely before cooking it.
All your meat must be refrigerated immediately upon delivery and used within 3 days of delivery, but no matter what the cut, make sure you always follow these basic tips:
Unless it's vacuum-packed, when you take your meat home, take it out of the bag and packaging. If left inside the meat, it will sweat, which means that the growth of bacteria is much easier.
Place the meat on a plate, without a lid, in the bottom of the refrigerator. If your products are vacuum packed, leave them inside the packaging in the same place. Not only will this help to ventilate the air around the raw meat, but you will find that the back of the fridge is the coldest place. If you're running out of space, a Tupperware container with a lid is the next best thing.
Keep meat, especially chicken, away from any other food. It's best to put an entire shelf in the fridge just to store raw meat.
Don't overfill your refrigerator as this can lead to inconsistent temperatures.
If freezing meat, do so on the day of purchase. Most of our products are suitable for home freezing - individual product suitability and details are available on the website
If your cuts are vacuum packed, don't open them - this is an ideal freezing condition. If the meat is on butcher paper, remove all packaging, dry the meat and place each cut separately in a bag with as little air as possible. Use within 3 months
To defrost, remove the meat from the freezer 24 hours before using and remove, placing it in the coldest part of the kitchen 1 to 2 hours before using.