Ely has been named England’s batch cooking capital, with residents searching for meal prep advice at a higher rate than anywhere else in the country.
New research from kitchen experts at Prestige found the Cambridgeshire city recorded 1,094 searches per 100,000 people, comfortably topping the rankings.
How the cities compare
| Rank | Location | Searches per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ely | 1,094 |
| 2 | Ripon | 710 |
| 3 | Chichester | 551 |
| 4 | Durham | 436 |
| 5 | Lichfield | 432 |
The findings suggest people in some of England’s smallest cities are particularly keen to get organised in the kitchen, with batch cooking allowing households to prepare several portions in one go and have meals ready for later in the week.
Ely, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire about 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge, has long been recognised as one of England’s smallest cities. Its population stands at around 20,000, yet the data indicates a strong local interest in efficient home cooking methods that save time during busy weeks.
Why batch cooking is on the rise
Batch cooking has grown in popularity across the UK as households seek practical ways to manage food costs and daily schedules. Preparing larger quantities of ingredients or complete dishes in a single session reduces the need for daily cooking from scratch, an approach that suits families and individuals balancing work, education, and other commitments.
The Prestige research highlights how search interest concentrates in smaller urban centres rather than larger metropolitan areas, pointing to organised kitchen habits in places such as Ely, Ripon, Chichester, Durham, and Lichfield.
Expert advice on making it sustainable
Olivia Disley, kitchen expert at Prestige, shared detailed guidance on making the practice sustainable and varied. “Batch cooking doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your entire Sunday to making a week’s worth of identical meals,” said Disley, kitchen expert at Prestige.
- “One of the easiest ways to start is simply doubling what you’re already cooking. If you’re making a chilli, curry, casserole, or pasta sauce, making twice as much often requires very little extra effort. Portion the rest up and you’ve suddenly got another dinner waiting for you on a night when you don’t have the time or energy to cook from scratch.”
- “I’d also think about ingredients rather than just complete meals. A big tray of roasted vegetables could accompany dinner one evening, go into pasta the next day, and then be blended into soup. A large tomato sauce can become the base for pasta, chilli, lasagne, or even homemade pizza. That stops batch cooking feeling like you’re eating the same thing every night.”
- “If you’re already using the oven, try to make that heat work as hard as possible. Where cooking temperatures and timings allow, fill empty shelves with other dishes or ingredients you’ll need later rather than heating a large oven again the following day.”
- “The freezer is your best friend, but portion food before you freeze it. There’s no point freezing six servings together if you’re only going to want one or two at a time. Label everything with what it is and the date too, because otherwise it’s very easy to end up with a freezer full of mystery containers.”
- “When you do reheat your batch-cooked meals, make sure they’re steaming hot throughout. Leftovers should be cooled and refrigerated promptly and, if you’re not going to eat them within the recommended timeframe, freeze them instead. You should also only reheat leftovers once.”
“The goal is to make cooking once work harder for you. Get into the habit of putting even one or two extra portions away every time you cook and, before long, opening the freezer can feel like having your own homemade takeaway menu.”
These practical steps emphasise flexibility and safety, with a focus on versatile ingredients helping to avoid meal fatigue, while maximising oven efficiency and proper storage supports food safety standards.