Most of the problems we hear about with raw chicken don’t start in the pan. They start in the first hour after the delivery lands at the back door. A carton sits on the loading dock while the lunch rush is on, or it gets wedged into a cool room that’s already packed to the ceiling, and by Thursday the stock smells a bit off.
Here’s what we tell new trade customers around Perth about getting bulk chicken from our truck into your cool room in good shape.
Get it cold, fast
Under the Food Standards Code (Standard 3.2.2), raw chicken has to be kept at 5°C or colder. That’s the law for every food business in WA, not just a nice-to-have. In practice it means someone needs to be ready to receive the order, check it and get it into the cool room straight away.
On a 38-degree day in Midland or Mandurah, ten minutes on a hot dock makes a real difference. If you know a delivery is due during service, put one person on it. It takes two minutes.
Check the delivery while the driver is there
Have a quick look before you sign:
- Is the product cold to the touch? A probe thermometer is better than a guess.
- Are the cartons and bags intact, with no leaks?
- Does the order match what you asked for, in cut, size and quantity?
If something isn’t right, tell us within 24 hours. That’s in our terms of trade for a reason. It’s much easier to sort out a short delivery or a damaged carton the same day than a week later.
Bottom shelf, every time
Raw chicken goes on the lowest shelf of the cool room, below anything that’s cooked or ready to eat. Drips happen, and you don’t want them landing on tomorrow’s salads. Keep it in its packaging or in a lidded tub, and label anything you’ve opened or portioned with the date.
Rotate your stock too. New deliveries go to the back, older stock moves to the front. First in, first out. It sounds obvious but it’s the first thing to slip when the kitchen gets busy.
Plan for a short shelf life
Fresh chicken doesn’t last long. Our product has a shelf life of about four days, so it pays to order to your actual usage rather than stocking up “just in case”. If you’re a café using 20 kilos of thigh a week, two smaller drops will usually give you better product than one big one. Your sales rep can help you work out a sensible order pattern.
Thawing frozen stock properly
If you freeze any chicken, thaw it in the cool room, not on the bench and not in a sink of warm water. Big portions can take a day or more, so it needs planning. Once it’s thawed, treat it like fresh and use it quickly. Don’t refreeze it.
Keep raw and ready-to-eat apart
Use separate boards and knives for raw chicken (most kitchens go with yellow), and wash and sanitise everything that’s touched it. Gloves help, but only if they’re changed between jobs. A glove that’s handled raw thigh and then a burger bun isn’t doing anyone any favours.
Cook it through
The usual guide in Australia is to cook chicken until the thickest part reaches 75°C. A cheap probe thermometer takes the guesswork out of it, especially with bone-in cuts like marylands and drumsticks, where the meat near the bone is the last to come up to temperature.
Need a hand?
We supply restaurants, cafés, caterers, butchers and takeaways across Perth and regional WA. If you’d like to talk about cuts, pack sizes or how often to order, get in touch or request a quote and one of the team will call you back.
This is general guidance only. For the full requirements that apply to your business, check with your local council’s environmental health officer or the WA Department of Health.
