Disclosure: This article is written by Shaun McManus, founder of SmartPubTools and creator of the Restaurant Console. All operational claims reflect genuine experience at Teal Farm Pub, Washington.
Key Takeaway
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a legal requirement for all UK food businesses under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. It must be documented, reviewed, and have evidence of implementation — temperature logs, corrective action records, and staff training. A kitchen that is genuinely safe but has no HACCP documentation will still fail on EHO “confidence in management” scoring. Your HACCP plan is both a food safety tool and a compliance document.
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What Is HACCP and Why Is It a Legal Requirement?
HACCP — Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points — is a systematic approach to identifying and controlling food safety hazards. In the UK, HACCP is required under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 (Regulation (EC) 852/2004 as retained in UK law). Every food business must implement and maintain a food safety management system based on HACCP principles.
For most independent restaurants, the FSA’s Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) pack provides a pre-built HACCP framework. However, it must be customised to your operation — a generic SFBB pack that has never been completed and signed off demonstrates no confidence in management to an EHO.
The 7 HACCP Principles — Restaurant Application
| # | Principle | Restaurant Application |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Conduct a hazard analysis | Identify biological (bacteria), chemical (cleaning products), and physical (bones, glass) hazards at each stage of food handling |
| 2 | Determine critical control points (CCPs) | Identify the steps where a control measure is essential — typically: receiving, cold storage, cooking, cooling, hot holding |
| 3 | Establish critical limits | Set the measurable boundary for each CCP — fridge at 1–4°C, cooked food at minimum 75°C internal temperature |
| 4 | Establish monitoring procedures | Define who checks each CCP, how often, and with what equipment — temperature probe, calibrated thermometer, frequency twice daily |
| 5 | Establish corrective actions | Document what happens when a critical limit is breached — fridge above 4°C: move food to safe storage, call engineer, log incident |
| 6 | Establish verification procedures | Regular checks that the HACCP system is working — calibrating probes monthly, reviewing temperature records weekly |
| 7 | Establish record-keeping and documentation | Keep all records: temperature logs (minimum 3 months), corrective action records, probe calibration records, staff training certificates |
Critical Control Points for UK Restaurants — Full List
| CCP | Critical Limit | Monitoring | Corrective Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving deliveries | Chilled food below 8°C on delivery; frozen below -12°C | Probe check each delivery | Reject deliveries above limit; record and contact supplier |
| Cold storage (fridge) | 1–4°C | AM and PM temperature log | Move food; call engineer; log incident |
| Frozen storage | -25°C to -18°C | AM and PM temperature log | Move food to alternative freezer; log incident |
| Thawing | In fridge at 1–4°C only — not at room temperature | Visual check by senior kitchen staff | Remove and discard food thawed at room temp |
| Cooking | Minimum 75°C internal temperature | Probe check per batch | Return to heat; re-probe; discard if cannot reach temperature |
| Cooling | Cool from 75°C to below 8°C within 90 minutes | Timer and probe check during cooling | Discard food not cooled within 90 minutes |
| Hot holding | Above 63°C | Probe check every 2 hours during service | Discard food held below 63°C for more than 2 hours |
| Reheating | Minimum 75°C internal temperature | Probe check each reheat | Continue heating or discard |
For the full HACCP temperature logging requirements — including how often to log and what format EHO inspectors expect — see our HACCP temperature log guide for UK restaurants.
What Records Your HACCP System Must Produce
Under Principle 7, your HACCP system must produce documented evidence that it is being followed. EHO inspectors will ask to see:
Temperature logs — AM and PM readings for every fridge and freezer, every day. Minimum 3 months of records immediately accessible. Not handwritten on scraps — dated, timed, signed.
Corrective action records — evidence of what happened when a critical limit was breached. If your fridge hit 6°C overnight, what did you do? If you cannot show a record of the action taken, the inspector will assume nothing was done.
Probe calibration records — your temperature probe must be calibrated regularly (typically monthly). Ice water calibration (probe should read 0°C ± 1°C) is the standard method. Record the calibration date, result, and any action taken.
Staff training records — evidence that all food handlers have completed Level 2 Food Hygiene training and that records are current. New starters must be trained before handling food unsupervised.
For what EHO inspectors specifically look for across all three scoring elements — food hygiene, structure, and confidence in management — see our full EHO inspection checklist for UK restaurants.
The daily opening checklist is where your HACCP monitoring starts each day. See our restaurant opening checklist for the full routine including HACCP temperature log initiation.
The Restaurant Console Safety Deck module holds your complete HACCP record — temperature logs, corrective actions, cleaning schedules, and staff training — all stored in your Google Drive and accessible in seconds. £97 one-time — see what is included →
Common HACCP Mistakes UK Restaurants Make
Using the generic SFBB pack without customising it. The FSA’s Safer Food Better Business pack is a useful framework, but it must be completed with your specific menu, suppliers, and procedures. A blank pack is not a HACCP plan.
Not recording corrective actions. Most operators log temperatures consistently. Far fewer record what happened when a temperature was out of range. This is the most common gap EHO inspectors find in otherwise well-run kitchens.
Not reviewing and updating the HACCP plan. Your HACCP plan must be reviewed when your menu changes, when you add new equipment, or when a food safety incident occurs. A plan written three years ago that has never been reviewed will score poorly on confidence in management.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is HACCP a legal requirement for UK restaurants?
Yes. Under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, all food businesses must implement and maintain a food safety management system based on HACCP principles. The system must be documented with evidence of implementation — temperature logs, corrective action records, and staff training. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have equivalent legislation.
What are the 7 principles of HACCP?
The 7 HACCP principles are: (1) conduct a hazard analysis, (2) determine critical control points, (3) establish critical limits for each CCP, (4) establish monitoring procedures, (5) establish corrective actions, (6) establish verification procedures, (7) establish record-keeping and documentation. All 7 must be addressed in your documented HACCP plan.
What is a critical control point in a restaurant?
A critical control point (CCP) is a step in food handling where a control measure is essential to prevent or eliminate a food safety hazard. In a restaurant, key CCPs are: receiving deliveries (temperature check), cold storage (fridge 1–4°C, freezer -18 to -25°C), cooking (75°C internal temperature), cooling (below 8°C within 90 minutes), hot holding (above 63°C), and reheating (75°C minimum).
How long do I need to keep HACCP temperature records?
EHO inspectors typically expect to see a minimum of 3 months of temperature records immediately accessible. Records should include AM and PM readings for every fridge and freezer, every day, with the date, time, temperature, and name of the person who recorded it. Digital records stored in Google Drive or similar are accepted — they do not need to be paper.
What happens if my restaurant fails a HACCP inspection?
If your HACCP records are incomplete or your food safety management system is inadequate, an EHO can issue an Improvement Notice requiring you to make documented changes within a set timeframe. Failure to comply can result in prosecution under the Food Safety Act 1990. Your food hygiene rating may also be reduced — a low confidence-in-management score can drop your overall rating to 2 or below regardless of how clean the kitchen is.
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By Shaun McManus | Last Updated: May 2026
Shaun McManus is the licensee of Teal Farm Pub, Washington, Tyne and Wear. He has 15+ years in hospitality management and built the Restaurant Console for his own operation.
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