Delivered in a plain plastic catering bag.

Expect some natural discolouration of any mince that's been in contact with the air. And a bit of liquid to collect at the bottom of the bag.

5 minutes

1-2 days

With fridge set at 1-4 °C

Mince is very susceptible to bacterial infection. That's because bacteria that usually stays on the surface, is ground down inside the mince.

So, always make sure it's fully cooked. And, if you use it for burgers, never serve them “rare”.

Hygiene
Always wash your hands before and after you touch fresh meat. Do the same with any chopping boards you use. And make sure you wipe down any surfaces raw meat has been in contact with.

Safety
Never let raw meat come into contact with other food in your fridge. And never – ever - let it come into contact with anything you'd eat straight from the fridge like ham, lettuce or cheese.

Store it separately in the coldest bit of the fridge. Usually the bottom of the fridge near the back.

Let the air circulate
All fresh meat - except bacon or anything in a vacuum pack - needs circulating air so as not to spoil. It does much better in the fridge if it's not covered in plastic. Store it in a bowl and cover it with a paper towel or tea towel, well away from ready to eat foodstuffs.

2-3 months

Fry mince before you freeze it. You preserve more taste and texture that way.

Don't fry it with onions, because onions change taste in the freezer. Best to add cooked onions to the mince after you defrost it. Freeze meat as quickly as possible. The most damage to your meat is done when it's around the 0°C mark, because that's when the ice crystals are at their largest.

Once frozen your biggest problem is air.

Any frozen food in contact with the air will dry out and get freezer burn.

So make sure anything you freeze is 100% airtight.

The slower you thaw your meat the less juice is lost. Defrost it in the fridge.