How to prepare your kitchen records for an EHO visit
It is the middle of lunch service when someone says the EHO is at the door. For a lot of chefs, that is the moment the stomach drops: where is the fridge log for last Tuesday, who signed off the closing checks, and is the allergen folder actually up to date? Hunting through greasy clipboards and loose paper while an officer waits is a nightmare nobody wants.
It does not have to go that way. An environmental health officer wants to see that your food safety system reflects the kitchen you actually run. Clear, current records matter more than a perfect-looking folder: show what was checked, who recorded it, what went wrong and what the team did next. Keep that up every shift and an unannounced visit becomes a few minutes pulling up records, not a panic.
1. Make Safety Checks match the kitchen
Set up practical opening and closing checklists, then add tasks that name the equipment and routines your team uses. Keep each list realistic enough to complete during the shift. Chef’s Helper records the person and date against each completed task, so do not sign off work on somebody else’s behalf.
If a check is missed, leave the gap visible and add an honest note where appropriate. Do not recreate old records from memory just before a visit. The detailed process is covered in the guide to food safety checks for small kitchen teams.
2. Keep Temperature Logs complete
Use the relevant log for fridge, freezer, cooking, hot holding, cooling or delivery temperatures. Name the appliance or food clearly, record the date and time, and include supplier and invoice details where useful for deliveries. Fridges and freezers already listed in Inventory can be selected, while a custom name can still be entered.
An out-of-range number needs an outcome. Record the corrective action—such as moving stock, continuing cooking, rejecting a delivery or arranging a repair—then record any follow-up reading. See the full HACCP temperature logging guide for the checks and working limits used in Chef’s Helper, or see how digital HACCP temperature records capture readings and corrective actions on the shift.
3. Use the rota as supporting context
Keep the weekly rota current with team members, roles and realistic shift times. When a named temperature, waste or safety-check record is reviewed, the rota can show whether that person was scheduled around the time of the entry. It supports a manager’s review, but it is not proof of attendance and must not be presented as a clock-in record.
Chef’s Helper does not calculate wages, payroll, overtime or breaks. Read the kitchen staff rota guide for the supported planning workflow.
4. Review allergen records before questions arise
Check that every current recipe has complete ingredients, review the likely matches for the 14 UK regulated allergens, and record any manual additions or removals. Recipes whose ingredients changed after confirmation need another human review. Keep kitchen-wide review sign-offs and the change history current rather than waiting for inspection day.
Ingredient-name detection is an aid, not a guarantee. It cannot confirm every “may contain” warning or cross-contamination risk. Your kitchen must still check current labels, supplier information and its own controls. The commercial kitchen allergen guide explains the review process in more detail.
5. Prepare the EHO Audit Pack
Choose the period the officer asks about in the EHO Audit Pack. The export brings together temperature readings and corrective actions, completed safety-check tasks, rota shifts, allergen review sign-offs and manual allergen changes. It can be prepared as a PDF or CSV archive for review. You can look round a sample EHO audit pack in the demo kitchen before signing up.
The pack supports your inspection records; it does not replace your wider food safety management system. Safe methods, training evidence, supplier information, pest controls and any other records that apply to your business still need to be available separately.
What to have ready
- Opening and closing checks for the requested period, with named completions and honest gaps.
- Temperature records with clear appliance or food names and corrective actions where needed.
- A current rota that provides context for who was scheduled on each shift.
- Confirmed recipe allergen records, recent review sign-offs and visible change history.
- Your EHO Audit Pack plus the separate records required by your own food safety system.
Want a paper version to walk the kitchen with? Download the free EHO inspection readiness checklist (PDF), grouped by the 4Cs plus management records. No sign-up needed.
For official guidance and free food safety management materials, use the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food, Better Business guidance. Requirements can vary by business and nation, so confirm anything specific with your local authority.