All restaurant staff, from servers to kitchen staff, must be given proper training in food hygiene. Whilst there’s no legal requirement for food handlers to have a food hygiene certificate, there is an obligation in law to provide proper food safety training.
The easiest and most efficient way of training staff to meet food safety standards, is to book them on a food hygiene course for catering.
This way all staff will feel confident with the UK food laws and will be able to demonstrate good hygiene practices in the workplace.
Do I Need a Food Hygiene Certificate for My Restaurant?
There’s no legal requirement to have food hygiene certificates for restaurant staff. However, there is an obligation to provide proper training.
A food hygiene certificate is a quick, easy way to do this and means you can demonstrate to the environmental health officer and your customers that you are compliant.
There are 3 levels of food hygiene certificate applicable to the catering industry. It’s best practice to ensure your staff are trained according to their level of responsibility.
Food needs to be kept safe from the time it is brought to the time it is delivered to the time it is stored until the time comes for it to be prepared and served. From the waiting staff to the kitchen chefs, food hygiene knowledge should be of the highest priority.
Having proper knowledge of food safety will help you achieve a good food hygiene rating. Any establishment serving food needs to prove it is serving food safely. Even churches need food hygiene certificates for their volunteers!
Benefits of Food Hygiene Certificates For Restaurants
There are many reasons why it’s beneficial to get food hygiene certificates for all appropriate restaurant staff.
Let’s take a look at the benefits that proper food safety training can bring to your establishment:-
Staff Personal Hygiene
As well as having an awareness of food hygiene practices, it is also necessary to ensure staff understand the importance of their personal hygiene.
This includes washing hands, having their hair tied out of the way during food preparation, wearing suitable clothing and dealing with spillages appropriately.
Good Hygiene Procedures In Restaurants
Staff who are out on the restaurant floor also need to be aware of their responsibilities when it comes to good hygiene.
This means always looking clean and presentable as you are the people with whom the customers will be dealing face to face. It will also help them understand the importance of keeping the restaurant area clean, using appropriate equipment and keeping on top of collecting dirty glasses and plates.
Training of Senior Kitchen Staff
Bigger establishments often hire senior kitchen staff to oversee the team of food handlers. Where this is the case, the supervisors in charge of this will need to have additional training. Their food safety responsibilities are different to other staff.
Supervisors and owners can take a more intensive restaurant food hygiene course for managers and owners.
Owner Of The Restaurant – Meeting Responsibilities
At the end of the day, the entire business and its responsibilities fall upon the shoulders of its owners.
That means, they need to be aware of all areas of food safety so that they can be sure staff are working to a high standard. A structured course is a quick and easy way to get an overview on running a safe and compliant food business.
Competent Table Staff
Although not in charge of food preparation itself, the waiting staff will still be transporting food from the kitchen to the tables.
They need to have clean hands and clothes at all times and also have their hair secured. They need to be aware of the rules of the kitchen which is a very busy environment and be aware of food allergens too.
Which Food Hygiene Certificate Do I Need for My Restaurant?
There are different levels of food handling performed by restaurant staff, so it is important to know which course your staff will benefit from the most.
The important thing to note is that they will all benefit from one of the courses, whether it’s the most basic or the most intense.
Level 1 Food Hygiene Course For Catering
This course is for any staff not directly involved in food handlings such as the restaurant waiters and bar staff:
- Food hygiene awareness
- Food hygiene Laws
- Food safety
- Food safety hazards
- The 4 C’s
- Personal Hygiene requirements
Level 2 Food Hygiene Course For Catering
This course is suited to those working directly with food such as kitchen workers such as team chefs. It will cover:
- The Food Rating Hygiene Scheme and what this entails
- The laws surrounding food hygiene
- Food safety responsibilities
- Microbiological hazards
- How to handle and store raw products
- All other hazards surrounding food
- Importance of food labelling and appropriate storage
- Fridge and freezer temperatures
- All aspects of food preparation
- Personal Hygiene
- Keeping the premises clean
Level 3 Food Hygiene Course For Catering
This course is aimed at those in a management position or senior kitchen staff who manage a team below them. It will cover:
- Food safety regulations
- Responsibilities of the staff
- Due diligence
- Responsibilities of the senior staff
- Contamination and the 6 P’s
- Food allergies
- 14 Food Allergens
- Labelling allergens
- How bacteria grow in food
- Food poisoning
- Food deliveries and storage
- Fridge, freezer, and cooking temperatures
- Appropriate kitchen spaces
- HACCP
- Personal hygiene
- Cleaning
- Pest control
- Supporting staff
Other Training Courses to Consider
There are a variety of other courses that can be undertaken by anyone in the catering business. We share a few of the popular ones below:
- Food Allergen Awareness Training: With so many allergies in existence today, it is imperative that anyone in the catering industry knows the main allergens. This means they will be in the position to help with customer queries and ensure their safety.
- Basic Health and Safety Training: This course will cover all aspects of health and safety in the workplace and will help ensure all employees follow any rules put in place. It will help them with risk assessments and day-to-day routines.
- Level 2 HACCP Training For Catering and Retail: A course suitable for anyone who needs knowledge in putting together an effective food safety management system.
FAQ’s
For restaurants, level 1 or 2 will suit those in the job role of waiting tables and serving from the bar. Those working in the kitchen should do level 2 as a minimum with any senior management undertaking level 3.
