Safety packs › Kitchen pack
Free PDF, 10 pagesPub kitchen food safety pack
Every kitchen record a pub needs day to day: temperature logs, opening and closing checks, allergens, cleaning and a one-page guide to what to do when something's wrong.
Free, no sign-up. Version 1, October 2026. Typical guidance for pubs in England, not legal advice.
What's in it
The limits it uses
Each one is marked as the law, FSA guidance or good practice, so you know which is which.
| What | Limit | Where from |
|---|---|---|
| Fridges and chilled food | 5°C or below | Law says 8°C max. FSA advises 5°C. |
| Freezers | -18°C or below | Good practice |
| Deliveries | Chilled 8°C or below, frozen -15°C or below | Good practice |
| Cooking (core) | 75°C or above | FSA guidance |
| Reheating | 75°C or above, once only | FSA guidance |
| Hot holding | 63°C or above | Law |
| Chilled food out of the fridge | 4 hours max, once | Law / FSA |
| Cooling | Into the fridge within 90 minutes | Council EHO guidance |
| Probe check | Ice -1°C to +1°C, boiling 99°C to 101°C | FSA guidance |
| Staff with vomiting or diarrhoea | Off until 48 hours after symptoms stop | FSA guidance |
The page inspectors look for
Page 2 tells your team what to do straight away, and what to do next, for 11 common problems: a warm fridge, a delivery that's too warm, food under temperature, a probe that's out, pests, a sick member of staff, an allergic reaction.
Every problem then goes on the Problems page with what you did and who you told. That record is what shows an Environmental Health Officer you're in control.
Questions
What temperature should a pub fridge be?
5°C or below. The law in England says chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below; the FSA advises setting fridges at 5°C or below to leave a safety margin.
What temperature should cooked food reach?
75°C or above in the thickest part. The FSA also accepts 70°C for 2 minutes, 65°C for 10 minutes or 80°C for 6 seconds. Reheat once only, until steaming hot.
What's the legal hot holding temperature?
63°C or above in England. Food can be out of hot holding for up to 2 hours, once. After that, reheat it once, chill it or throw it away.
How quickly should cooked food be cooled?
As fast as you can. Many councils advise getting it into the fridge within 90 minutes. Smaller portions, shallow trays and iced water all help.
How do I check a probe thermometer?
In iced water it should read -1°C to +1°C, and in boiling water 99°C to 101°C. The pack has a weekly probe check.
How long must staff stay off after vomiting or diarrhoea?
Until 48 hours after the symptoms have stopped, if they handle food or work in food areas (FSA guidance).
Get told when the rules change
Limits and laws change (Martyn's Law is due in 2027, for one). Leave your email and I'll tell you when I update the packs. Free, no spam, unsubscribe any time.
Doing front of house too? Get the front of house safety pack: fire, cellar, legionella and more.