When you run a restaurant, there are lots of things that you need to do to ensure that customers have a good experience. From providing all staff with good training, to making sure that you have good communication with customers by using things like this pager system www.dinggly.com/
Something else that is important when you are running a restaurant and serving food to the public is that you are always aware and following the correct food hygiene guidelines. Food poisoning can be very dangerous, and it is essential that you are correctly maintaining good hygiene.
Food storage needs to be done correctly to prevent bacteria from getting into food and also to prevent cross contamination. Correct storage also prevents things getting into the food and helps to keep the kitchen tidy, which prevents accidents.
Staff need to be trained in food hygiene and also have good personal hygiene. Frequent handwashing and making sure that they are aware of the correct guidelines when handling food ensures that they keep the risk of any contamination to a minimum.
When you serve food to the public, your restaurant will be inspected by someone from the local council, who will then give you a food hygiene scheme rating. This goes from 0 – meaning that urgent improvement is required, to a 5 which is very good. Customers will be able to access this information, and a low rating will of course put many people off.
A daily routine for a clean kitchen
Hygiene is about protecting people from the germs and bacteria that cause illness, and in a restaurant it starts in the kitchen. Keep separate utensils for each stage of the cooking process, and store and prepare different foods apart from one another so there is no cross contamination between raw and cooked items.
Sanitise surfaces and cookware before any cooking begins. When the dishes have been washed, a second wash helps to sanitise them properly and makes them easier to keep clean over time. Plenty of effective sanitisers are available, so there is no reason to run short.
What matters most is consistency. A regular routine of sanitation, separation, labelling and correct storage keeps hygiene and safety under control every day, not just before an inspection. Keeping hand sanitiser available for customers as well as staff shows diners that cleanliness is taken seriously in every part of the business.
How food hygiene ratings work
The national food hygiene rating scheme, introduced in 2010, gives diners a quick way to judge a restaurant or takeaway. Each business is scored from zero to five, with five the best, so customers can see at a glance how it performed.
Inspectors look at how food is stored, handled and prepared, and at the overall cleanliness of the kitchen. Pest control is checked too, as it is closely linked to food hygiene. A business with a low score must act straight away, and if standards are so poor that they pose a significant risk to health, all or part of it can be closed until the problems are fixed.
In England, displaying the rating is encouraged but not a legal requirement. Customers can still look up any score online, though. Businesses with lower ratings, or those asked to make improvements, are inspected more often, so keeping standards high from the start saves a great deal of trouble.
