@Simbeano, thank you for trying the steps to see if any of your Mods/CC is causing this! 😇 At least you don't have to worry about that! 😉
I did some more testing. When I fenced in the original fridge (the one where the leftovers were actually put into), all my Sims went to the next fridge, and did not cook their own food. Then I took down the walls I had used to fence in the favorite fridge and but it into the basement, 2 floors down, but not behind any barricades or doors. My Sims could access the basement (I tested), but so far they have been ignoring the favorite fridge for one of the others that are still in the kitchen! 🤨
To summarize:
1) My Sims preferred the original fridge (fridge #1) over the other 3, and this was the one the leftovers were actually placed into.
2) When fridge #1 was walled in they went to fridge #2
3) When fridge #1 was not blocked anymore, but instead placed down 2 floors in the basement. Sims still got leftovers from fridge #2! I tried with both stairs and ladders.
4) Sims never touched fridges #3 and #4 while testing
So, since I can't replicate what you are seeing in your game, it could be that your Sims, or the fridge, or the house/lot are glitched.
Do you see the same behavior in other households?🤔
Can you try it with Sims in a new Save Game file and see if you get the same results?🤔
You can also try having your household travel (like to a park, gym, or museum) and then return and see if that helps (sometimes this resets things).🙂
As a last resort you can try moving them out of their house and then moving them back. But that is tedious and then you have to redecorate their house when they move back, which is why this is a last resort. 😞
Please update us on your findings! 😇