LONDON — Meet the woman who claims she saves nearly $1,300 annually by employing a unique freezing technique. Kate Hall, a 37-year-old entrepreneur from Orpington, Kent, discovered the cost-saving potential of freezing individual ingredients, describing it as a “lightbulb moment.”
Previously, she froze entire meals, which limited their use to just once upon reheating. Now, Hall boasts a “stash” of separately frozen ingredients, allowing her to use exactly what she needs, drastically reducing waste. This strategy also minimizes her grocery store visits, making her frozen stock a reusable resource that significantly cuts costs.
Her savvy freezer management has not only transformed her kitchen routine but also laid the foundation for her own business, where she shares her best tips.
“When you add it all together, it’s easily north of £1,000 saved a year – as things just aren’t going in the bin,” the full-time business owner emphasizes in an online video post. “The way that I have the freezer set up is to have a stash of ingredients. This reduces that temptation to buy things when you’re in the shop.”
By buying in bulk and freezing the surplus, Kate ensures that she has a wide array of options available.
“The beauty of what I’ve developed is that you don’t actually need to defrost everything as all of the veg I can cook straight from frozen,” Hall adds. “One of the best things about this is the beauty of being able to stretch things out. Rather than thinking I have to use the whole pack of chicken, I can separate and freeze.”
Hall’s philosophy revolves around making the most of every moment to prevent food from being wasted. Her techniques reduce preparation time, enabling her to multitask by chopping and freezing vegetables while cooking.
Her journey into sharing freezer and food waste tips began during the COVID pandemic as a way to help people optimize their food use. After being furloughed and later laid off, Kate saw an opportunity to turn her passion into a profession. Her insights have proven invaluable, especially as people’s perspectives on food have evolved over the past year.
Hall’s business focuses on providing reassurance and confidence in food management.
“When I first started doing this, I had no idea how bad food waste was for the planet and I soon learned about the environmental impact as well and I thought if I can share something that helps people to save money then that solidifies it for me,” Hall notes. “It’s about using your freezer in a safe way and it’s about how you look after food before and after that makes the difference.”
You can check out her website here.
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South West News Service writer Jake Meeus-Jones contributed to this report.