When your business revolves around chocolate, you develop a slightly unhealthy interest in hot weather and keeping cool inside when its steaming outside.
Most people see a weather forecast showing 30°C and think about barbecues, paddling pools and whether it's socially acceptable to eat ice cream before noon. We see the same forecast and immediately start thinking about chocolate, kitchens, delivery vans and whether brownies are about to begin a slow but dramatic transformation into fondue.
The good news is that years of keeping an eye on temperatures in bakeries, kitchens and production spaces have taught us a thing or two about staying cool. While we're certainly not claiming to be heatwave experts, we do spend an unusual amount of time thinking about how heat behaves, where it sneaks in and how to stop it turning everything into a puddle.
With temperatures soaring across the UK, we thought we'd share some of the most useful heatwave tips we've come across over the years. Some are surprisingly effective, some are slightly counterintuitive, and all of them are a lot cheaper than installing air conditioning.
One of the biggest mistakes people make during hot weather is opening every window the moment the sun comes up and hoping for the best.
It feels logical. Fresh air must equal cool air, right?
Unfortunately, once the outside temperature starts climbing above the temperature inside your home, you're essentially inviting the heat indoors. That's why many people in countries with much hotter climates spend the day with shutters, blinds and curtains closed, only opening windows once the sun has gone down.
If your home gets a lot of direct sunlight, keeping curtains or blinds closed on south-facing windows can make a surprisingly noticeable difference. It might not create an Arctic retreat, but it can stop rooms from becoming ovens by mid-afternoon.
Ask most people what they dislike most about a heatwave and they'll usually say the same thing....Sleeping.
The daytime heat can be uncomfortable, but a hot bedroom at midnight has a unique ability to make even the calmest person question their life choices.
One of the most effective tricks is to focus on cooling yourself rather than cooling the entire room. A cool shower before bed, lightweight cotton bedding and a fan positioned near an open window can all help. Some people swear by putting pillowcases in the freezer for a few minutes before bedtime, which sounds ridiculous until you've tried it. Just make sure you wrap them in something to protect them first or have a spotlessly clean freezer that has never seen a speck of food before!
Hydration also plays a bigger role than many people realise. By the time you're feeling thirsty, you're already playing catch-up, and even mild dehydration can make sleep feel more restless and uncomfortable.
This may sound obvious, but it's remarkable how many people spend all day trying to cool their homes down before firing up an oven for an hour in the evening.
During a heatwave, it often makes sense to switch towards foods that require little or no cooking. Salads, fruit, cold pasta dishes and simple sharing platters all have the added benefit of feeling more appealing when temperatures climb.
If you're determined to have dessert, look for options that can be served chilled, frozen or straight from the fridge.
Which brings us to brownies.
Not because we're trying to turn this into a sales pitch, but because frozen brownies genuinely deserve more attention than they get. Once you've tried them, you may never go back.
Most people assume brownies should be served at room temperature or even warm and gooey. That's certainly a classic way to enjoy them, but it isn't the only one. Prepare to have your mind blown.
Pop a brownie into the freezer for an hour, maybe two, and something interesting happens. The texture becomes denser, fudgier and almost truffle-like, while the chocolate flavour becomes deeper and more intense. It's a completely different experience from eating a fresh brownie and, during a heatwave, can be unexpectedly refreshing.
We're not saying frozen brownies will solve all your problems, but we're also not not saying that.
Just make sure you don't leave them in there too long or you may have more of a workout for your jaws than you planned - but dont worry after about 5 to 10 mins outside they will be perfectly half frozen and ready to munch.
Fans don't actually lower the temperature of a room, but they do help your body cool itself more effectively. If you want to get a bit more creative, placing a bowl of ice or frozen water bottles in front of a fan can create a cooling breeze that feels noticeably more refreshing.
It's not quite air conditioning, but during a British heatwave it's often enough to take the edge off.
The real secret is using fans strategically. Running them overnight while cooler air is entering through open windows is generally far more effective than simply pointing one at yourself during the hottest part of the day and hoping for the best. Yes you read that right - at night have the fan pointed out of the window and have a window opened on the other side of the house and the fan will draw cooler air in while taking hotter air pout. Sounds weird but it's true, just go and try it!
One of the less discussed effects of hot weather is what it does to concentration.
When temperatures rise, many people find themselves feeling more tired, more irritable and less productive than usual. That's completely normal. Your body is working harder to regulate temperature, sleep quality is often worse and even simple tasks can feel more draining.
Rather than fighting it, try adjusting expectations slightly. Save demanding tasks for cooler parts of the day, take regular breaks and remember that surviving a heatwave is sometimes an achievement in itself.
The best heatwave advice is often surprisingly boring. Keep sunlight out during the day, let cooler air in at night, stay hydrated, eat lighter meals and avoid turning your house into a giant radiator with unnecessary cooking.
The encouraging news is that this approach genuinely works.
The even more exciting news is that if you happen to have brownies in the freezer while you're doing all of the above, you're already better prepared than most people.
The easiest way to catch up on all the latest Bad Brownie gossip. Read our brownie blog now!
