Kitchen design
How to Organise Your Fridge: What Goes Where
The right temperature, which shelf for raw meat, leftovers and dairy, and simple habits that keep food fresher and safer.
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Where food goes in the fridge matters for safety as well as freshness. Raw meat in the wrong place can drip onto ready-to-eat food, and a fridge that runs too warm lets bacteria grow.
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The right temperature
The Food Standards Agency advises keeping your fridge between 0 and 5°C. The dial does not always tell the truth, so check it with a fridge thermometer about once a week.
What goes where
| Place | Store | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Top shelves | Ready-to-eat food, leftovers, cooked meats | Away from raw food |
| Middle shelves | Dairy, eggs (or in their box) | Steady temperature |
| Bottom shelf | Raw meat, poultry and fish, sealed or covered | Cannot drip onto other food |
| Salad drawers | Vegetables and salad | Higher humidity keeps them crisp |
| Door | Drinks, condiments, butter | The warmest part of the fridge |
Good habits
- Do not overfill: cold air needs to circulate.
- Cool leftovers quickly, cover them and use them within two days.
- Defrost frozen food in the fridge, not on the worktop.
- First in, first out: move older food to the front.
Not everything belongs in the fridge: see where to store fruit and veg and bread bins.
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Frequently asked questions
What temperature should my fridge be?
Between 0 and 5°C, according to the Food Standards Agency. Use a fridge thermometer to check, as the dial is not always accurate.
Where should raw meat go in the fridge?
On the bottom shelf, in its packaging or a sealed container, so it cannot touch or drip onto other food.
How should I defrost frozen food?
In the fridge, ideally overnight, so it stays cold while it thaws and does not sit in the temperature range where bacteria grow.
Sources
- How to chill, freeze and defrost food safely, Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK), 18 December 2017. Checked 3 October 2026.