Kitchen opening checks: start the shift with confidence
Before preparation begins, check the things that could affect food safety today. Work through this starter checklist, follow your own procedures and record any issue that needs action before service.
Use your own safe procedure
This checklist is a starting point. Add the equipment, products, monitoring methods and limits from your food safety management system. Complete checks before the affected work starts; a routine tick must never hide an unresolved problem.
Put a problem on hold
Tell the responsible person when a check fails. Isolate affected food or equipment where appropriate, decide on corrective action and record what was done. Complete any required recheck before restarting.
Work through your checks
- Handwashing facilities are accessible and supplied; staff understand the personal hygiene procedure.
- Work areas and equipment are ready for use after the required cleaning and disinfection.
- Refrigeration checks meet the limits and monitoring method in our procedures.
- Raw food and ready-to-eat food are separated in storage and preparation.
- Date labels, stock rotation and product storage instructions have been checked.
- Current recipes, ingredient labels and allergen information are available to the team.
- There are no unresolved signs of pests, damaged equipment or unsafe food.
- Any failed check has been reported, assessed and acted on before affected work begins.
These checks support your own procedures. A tick records your observation, not confirmation that a business is compliant.