Resources
Free checklists. No sign-up.
The checks we run on a first visit, written down so you can do them yourself. Print one, work through it, and call us about anything you can't tick.
Opening or refitting a café, restaurant or takeaway
Pre-opening checklist: the build and the kitchen
Work through this before you sign anything, and again in the weeks before you open. Anything you cannot tick is worth a conversation before the builders or the officer arrive.
Before you sign the lease or the builder
- The premises has (or can have) the right planning use for food
- There is room for a separate hand-wash basin in the food area, with hot and cold water
- Drainage can take a grease trap if your menu needs one
- Extraction can be routed out of the building without upsetting neighbours
- Deliveries, storage, preparation, cooking and service can flow one way without crossing dirty and clean
- You have at least two written quotes, and you know what each one leaves out
During the build
- If more than one contractor is involved, a principal designer and principal contractor are appointed in writing
- A Construction Phase Plan exists before work starts
- Walls, floors and ceilings in food areas are smooth, durable and easy to clean
- Floor-to-wall joints are coved or sealed, with no gaps for dirt or pests
- Lighting is good enough to see dirt in every corner
- Electrical, gas and building control certificates are promised in writing at handover
At least 28 days before opening
- Food business registered with the council (free, done online)
- Waste collection contract arranged, including food waste and cooking oil
- Pest control arrangements in place
- Insurance in place: public liability and, if you employ staff, employer's liability
Before your first customer
- A written food safety management system that matches your menu (for example, Safer Food, Better Business)
- Allergen information for every dish, checked against the actual recipes and suppliers
- Fridge and freezer temperatures checked and recorded daily
- A working, calibrated probe thermometer
- Cleaning schedule written and signed off each day
- Staff trained in food hygiene to the level their job needs, with records kept
- Opening and closing checks written down and in use
A checklist, not a substitute for advice on your premises. Requirements vary with what you cook and where.
Based on: Food Standards Agency — Starting a food business; Food Standards Agency — Safer food, better business; HSE — Summary of duties under CDM 2015. Checked 4 October 2026. PRAVISE, www.pravise.co.uk
Worked through it? Book a free 15-minute checklist review.
Bring the lines you could not tick. Patrick or Joanne will go through them with you on the phone and tell you which matter most, what each would cost to put right, and whether you need us at all.
Opens Google's booking page. Pick a time, Google emails you a confirmation, and we ring you then. Free, about 15 minutes, no obligation.
Small holiday lets and short-stay homes
Holiday-let fire safety self-check
Paying-guest accommodation falls under fire safety law, so the person responsible needs a written fire risk assessment. This self-check follows the Government's guide for small premises and shows where you stand before you write or update yours.
Your fire risk assessment
- There is a written fire risk assessment for the property
- It has been reviewed in the last year, and after any change to the layout or furnishings
- Actions from it have been done, and the date recorded
Detection and warning
- Smoke alarms in the escape route (hallways and stairs), living areas and bedrooms
- A heat alarm in the kitchen
- Alarms are interlinked, so one sounding sets them all off
- Alarms are loud enough to wake anyone asleep in the property
- Alarms are tested every month and the test is recorded
- A carbon monoxide alarm in any room with a fixed combustion appliance
Escape
- Escape routes are kept clear, with nothing stored on stairs or in hallways
- Exit doors open from the inside without a key
- Guests on upper floors do not rely on a window to escape
- Guests with limited mobility are not placed in rooms that rely on a window to escape
- The escape route can be seen at night
Fighting and preventing fire
- A fire blanket in the kitchen
- Upholstered furniture carries fire-safety labels
- A current gas safety record, and electrical installation and appliances checked
- No overloaded sockets or extension leads in use
Guest information
- Guests are told how the alarms work and what to do if one goes off by mistake
- Guests are told what to do if there is a fire
- The full address of the property is displayed for a 999 call
This is a self-check, not a fire risk assessment. If the property sleeps more than ten people, or has guest bedrooms above the first floor, it is outside the simple guidance and you are likely to need a professional assessment.
Based on: GOV.UK — Making your small paying guest accommodation safe from fire; Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue — Self-catering holiday lets. Checked 4 October 2026. PRAVISE, www.pravise.co.uk
Worked through it? Book a free 15-minute checklist review.
Bring the lines you could not tick. Patrick or Joanne will go through them with you on the phone and tell you which matter most, what each would cost to put right, and whether you need us at all.
Opens Google's booking page. Pick a time, Google emails you a confirmation, and we ring you then. Free, about 15 minutes, no obligation.
Kitchens with an inspection coming up
Food hygiene inspection in 7 days: a day-by-day plan
An officer scores three things: how food is handled, the condition of the premises, and confidence in management. The third is where most points are lost, and it is mostly about records that are complete and actually used. One focus a day.
Day 1: get the paperwork in one place
- Your last inspection report, and what it asked you to fix
- Food safety management system (for example, Safer Food, Better Business), up to date
- Temperature records, cleaning schedules and opening and closing checks
- Staff training records
- Supplier list, pest control reports and waste contracts
Day 2: deep clean
- Behind and under equipment, high-level surfaces and extraction filters
- Hand-wash basins stocked with hot water, soap and paper towels, and used for nothing else
Day 3: the structure
- Fridge seals, cracked tiles, damaged walls and flooring noted and fixed (or booked in)
- Lighting working in every area
- No gaps where pests could get in
Day 4: temperatures
- Fridges at 8°C or below, the legal maximum (aim for 5°C or below)
- Hot food held at 63°C or above
- Probe thermometer checked in iced water and boiling water, and the check recorded
Day 5: allergens and labelling
- Allergen information matches today's menu and today's suppliers
- Food in fridges is covered, labelled and dated, and used in date order
- Any food you prepack on site carries full ingredient and allergen labels
Day 6: the team
- Every member of staff can explain what to do when a customer asks about allergens
- Staff know the cleaning chemicals' contact times, and the handwashing routine
- Whoever is on shift knows where the records are kept
Day 7: final walk-round
- Walk the kitchen as if you were the officer, from the back door to the pass
- Fill any gaps in the records honestly: do not back-fill dates
- Decide who will walk round with the officer on the day
A plan to focus effort, not a guarantee of a rating. The officer decides the score on the day.
Based on: Food Standards Agency — Food Hygiene Rating Scheme; Food Standards Agency — Safer food, better business. Checked 4 October 2026. PRAVISE, www.pravise.co.uk
Worked through it? Book a free 15-minute checklist review.
Bring the lines you could not tick. Joanne will go through them with you on the phone and tell you which matter most, what each would cost to put right, and whether you need us at all.
Opens Google's booking page. Pick a time, Google emails you a confirmation, and we ring you then. Free, about 15 minutes, no obligation.
Who you will speak to
Two people who do this work, not a call centre.
We are not council inspectors. We check your premises the way an officer or a building inspector would, so the problems are found by us first.
Patrick Murphy
Building sites, extensions and rented homes
More than twenty-five years in commercial construction. NVQ Level 7, SMSTS and SEATS.
Full background
Joanne Meredith
Commercial kitchens and food safety
A working head chef. City & Guilds trained in cookery and food service, with a BTEC Level 3 in hospitality supervision and leadership.
Full backgroundStuck on something?
Ask us. The first call is free.
If a line on a checklist doesn't make sense for your premises, a 15 to 30 minute call usually sorts it out.