Mise en place workbench by Frankfurter Brett

Frankfurter Brett Phoenix with oak chopping board and L2 Chef’s Choice container set

I love my Phoenix from Frankfurter Brett because it’s teaching me preparation discipline at home. 

As a passionate cook I used to find myself doing too many things in parallel. Preparing ingredients and cooking at the same time gets stressful. My Phoenix reminds me to do mise en place as a stage. Having all the ingredients cleaned, chopped, whisked, measured and organised, before I begin cooking, has removed the chaos. With “everything in its place” I'm not scrambling like a deranged juggler. 

My approach now has structure. With source ingredients in the top gastronorm containers, I move prepared ingredients to the right-hand side or front containers and the waste into another front container for composting later on. Having brackets on all sides with different sized containers lets me configure my setup to suit where I am in the kitchen and what I’m cooking. 

The Phoenix is a permanent fixture in my kitchen. I use it every day and its elegant design makes it a bit of show piece. The oak board is durable and easily maintained or restored with a light sanding and oil. And I love the BBQ Madness Carving Pad. I smoke and cook a lot of different meats, so channelling any juice into a container while resting or carving not only avoids a mess, it captures all that flavoursome liquid for the best tasting sauce. The pad is also perfect as mixing station for cocktails.