KITCHEN REGULATIONS

As a business you have a responsibility to ensure your waste is dealt with in compliance with the law. This means in an environmentally friendly and hygienic manner.

The law states that:

Food waste and rubbish must be removed from areas where food is present as quickly as possible
Food waste must go in containers which can be closed, unless you can satisfy your local authority that other containers are appropriate
Waste containers must be of a suitable construction and kept clean at all times
You must have suitable facilities for storage and disposal of all waste away from pests
All waste must be disposed of in a hygienic and environmentally friendly way (contact your local authority to find out rules in your area)
Waste must not be a source of contamination, either by touching food prep areas or attracting pests

Correct Disposal of Fats, Oils and Grease

Failure to comply with the law can result in a fine or imprisonment.

Grease traps stop grease from the sink clogging pipes or travelling into sewers
Waste oil must be collected from an Environmental Agency licensed waste carrier
Keep waste transfer notes for two years in case of inspection
Enzyme dosing systems (Greasepak) can be used to break down grease in the drainage system
Always scrape food off plates into a bin before washing them, to keep food out of the drain

Waste Disposal Options

Venue size and the amount of covers you are expecting will determine what kind of waste disposal your restaurant requires.

Smaller Bins

For hygiene reasons hands free bins are essential, and you can choose from pedal bins, swing bins and sack trolleys.

Wheelie Bins

For larger quantities of rubbish choose from traditional wheelie bins for indoor and outdoor use (up to 1100 litre capacity) or bigger waste trolleys for transporting rubbish.

Recycling Bins

Keep recycling simple with colour coded lids and labels for bins. Available in a range of sizes from 60 to 121 litres, and with Slim Jim designs to fit kitchens with limited space.

Waste Compactors

To save space and time spent taking rubbish bags to outdoor bins, waste compactors can be highly beneficial for busy venues, with an average compaction ratio of 85%.

Bin Stores

Keep your bins looking smart, in an area that will keep pests out with bin stores. Available in wood or plastic and in single or double sizes, these can help avoid the problem of having a messy exterior where rubbish is kept.

Blast Chilling

Food safety legislation states that food needs to be reduced from 70°C to 3°C in no more than 90 minutes when cooling, or from 70°C to -18°C in no more than 240 minutes when freezing. So how can you make sure you achieve this?

To stop bacteria multiplying to unsafe levels, fast cooling is essential. Food must be in the ‘danger zone’ between 5°C and 63°C for as little time as possible. Blast chillers cool food rapidly, not only reducing the time that bacteria can grow, but also helping to maintain flavour and texture of the food better than slow cooling.

Cooling is perfect for setting delicate desserts, and even fondant mash can be brought back from frozen to the same texture as when it was first cooked. Some blast chillers can also cook food, meaning that the whole process, from cooking to chilling, can be done in one unit, saving space and time.

Keeping Food Hot

If you need to keep food hot we have a variety of products to suit the amount of covers you expect to serve.

For large-scale events or canteens, Banqueting Trolleys can be used to keep food in Gastronorm pans ready to serve. With castor wheels these are easy to transport for convenience.

Hot Cupboards are a static option for storing plates to keep them warm or storing plated meals. These can double up as a work bench for prep work and make good use of space. Heated Trolleys are similar but have the added bonus of being transportable.

Once your food is ready to be served and plated up, heat lamps help to keep dishes piping hot until front of house can get them to the table. These are an essential piece of equipment for restaurants.

Gas Safety

Any gas appliances in the kitchen must adhere to safety regulations during installation and use, and be well maintained.

All gas appliances for commercial catering must be CE marked to show that a notified body has approved them. Individuals who carry out installations or repairs on gas appliances must be Gas Safe registered and you need to check if they have the relevant certificates.

Annual gas safety checks must be carried out and failure to comply with gas safety regulations can result in fines or imprisonment.

Gas Safe regulations state that all commercial kitchens are required by law to have a gas interlock system. This means that if ventilation systems fail, the interlock system will restrict the gas flow to appliances until the ventilation is back in working order. Regular checks should be carried out on the ventilation system to ensure that grease deposits are not compromising the extraction.

Kitchen Layout

A well designed kitchen equates to efficiency. And an efficient kitchen has the potential to produce better results and earn you more profit.

Goods Delivery Make sure there is a clear entry for all deliveries without compromising the flow of the kitchen and that drivers have access to your property.
Goods Storage Try to keep this as close as possible to the delivery area to allow you to put away goods quickly. Don’t compromise on storage space as this is vital to the success of your kitchen.
Food Prep This should be between your storage and cooking area. You need to make sure that there are clear spaces for different types of prep, such as raw meats, allergens and veg.
Cooking This is where your cookline is and should easily flow between prep and the pass. You want to make sure the traffic of staff going through this area is limited to avoid any health and safety mishaps.
Food Service Ready to go? You’ll need a heated area to keep food warm whilst waiting for service, and make sure there is enough space for cold foods too. You don’t want to serve a warm salad.
Ware Washing Your dirty plates need to come into the kitchen without disrupting the flow of dishes being taken out. Dirty plates should be out of the view of the customer and able to be quickly cleaned to avoid a backlog.
Waste/Recycling You need enough bins to cope with the waste you produce, and a clear path to the outdoor bins without disrupting prep or service areas in the kitchen.