AN Aberystwyth mum batch cooks six weeks worth of meals in just four hours - so she can spend more time with her family and focus on herself.

Amy Jones, 40, felt like she "lived in the kitchen" cooking meals from scratch everyday for her husband Richard, 38, and their two children - Leo, nine, and Sebastien, eight.

She didn't feel like she had time to "breathe or hang out with her kids" and "resented" cooking.

But now, Amy spends just four hours preparing six weeks' worth of dinners for her family-of-four - and says it leaves her with "more free time than ever".

The savvy mum never prepares fewer than four meals at a time - and typically has 40 servings on the go in her pint-sized 85cm by 58cm under-counter freezer, all in reusable plastic bags.

Amy says it saves her 50 minutes a day - by only having to microwave and reheat dishes.

She says that stockpiling food is the best way to ensure "a meal is always at hand" - and has clapped back at trolls who brand her habits as "disgusting".

Amy, a home educator, said: "Batch-cooking has given me the capacity to be myself again.

"I always wanted to cook homemade food but I was constantly just in the kitchen.

"Having meals on hand in the freezer that can be microwaved and reheated has saved me hours.

"And I have the headspace to breathe.

"People may think it's odd, but batch-cooking has been extremely helpful."

Amy began extreme batch cooking in May 2024 - after her sister suffered a stroke.

It "put things into perspective" for the mum and she realised monthly batch cooking was an effective way to make herself more available to her loved-ones.

She claims that making meals in advance has saved her 200 hours over the year.

Amy typically makes stews, lasagne, sausage casserole and chicken pie, but says "it varies depending on the season."

The mum will rotate the meals throughout the month and will add other ingredients like bread, salad, or fresh vegetables for bulking and variety.

Amy said: "I plan my meals by collecting recipes online and making a vision board.

"I'll do a seasonal plan and group meals that I know will cook together nicely.

"I cook all my chicken meals together and then all my beef.

"And I also tailor my meals to the season - I make more soups in the winter and more salads in the summer.

"I don't have an exact day when I batch cook; it's just when I have energy.”

Amy typically spends two hours in a single session batch cooking her meals and would never prepare fewer than four different meals at once, with two food items on the hob and two in the oven.

Amy said batch cooking has saved her £520 a month on her food bill - as she only spends £200 on food for 20 to 30 meals compared to her previous £180 weekly shop - and saves more pennies by buying reduced meat and veg.