It’s that time of year again…the lights are twinkling, the labs are winding down, and the out-of-office replies are going up. But while most people are thinking about roast dinners and Christmas movies, your freezers are quietly plotting their own festive surprise… 

Because let’s face it, if a freezer is going to fail, it’ll do it on Christmas Day. 

Between reduced staffing, limited call-out cover, and holiday shutdowns, the festive period can be one of the riskiest times of year for temperature-critical sample storage. Freezers still need checking, alarms still need responding to, and someone still has to be on-call just in case. 

That “someone” often ends up missing dessert. 

Why in-house storage gets risky over the holidays

Even the best labs feel the strain in December: 

• Reduced headcount – Fewer staff on site means slower response times if equipment fails. 

• Service cover gaps – Engineering call-outs are limited, and replacement parts are hard to source between Christmas and New Year. 

• Power and network interruptions – Facilities often operate on skeleton support, meaning even minor disruptions can escalate. 

• Temperature monitoring risks – Alarm systems and manual checks depend on people being available – not wrapping presents. 

The result? A nervous few weeks for anyone responsible for irreplaceable research samples.

The Harrow Green advantage

At Harrow Green Biobank, we keep working while everyone else is on holiday – so your samples don’t ruin your Christmas. 

Our Cambridge biostorage facility is purpose-built for resilience, with: 

• 24/7 live temperature monitoring and automated alerts 

• Back-up generators and dual UPS systems ensuring uninterrupted power 

• Twin 4G gateways for constant data connectivity 

• Trained on-site staff on duty even during the holidays 

• Controlled environments from ambient to -80°C 

• Full HTA and ISO 9001 certifications, so compliance doesn’t take a break either 

So while your team enjoys a well-earned rest, our team ensures your samples stay perfectly stable – with full traceability and round-the-clock oversight. 

A stress-free holiday for you – and your samples

Outsourcing your biobanking over the festive period means: 

• No emergency callouts
• No panicked temperature checks on Boxing Day 
• No ruined research or ruined turkey 

Instead, you can switch off, safe in the knowledge your samples are secure, monitored, and backed by contingency systems designed to handle anything the season throws at them. 

Make This Year Different 

If your freezer is on its last legs, or you’re dreading the Christmas duty rota, it’s not too late to make a change. 

Talk to Harrow Green Biobank about short-term or long-term sample storage this festive period and enjoy real peace of mind. 

Because no one wants their Christmas ruined by cold turkey!