How to automate your kitchen team

#1 - Kitchen opening checklist

When in the day: First thing, before any prep starts.

Who runs it: Head chef or whoever's opening — usually a senior team member.

What it is: A morning walk-through that confirms the kitchen is safe and ready to cook. The team checks fridge and freezer temperatures held overnight, that fire exits are clear, that gas isolation valves are where they should be, that there's no leak from the dishwasher, and that last night's deep-clean is holding up. Anything out of range, broken, or unsafe gets flagged before service planning starts.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 7am the head chef walks the kitchen, opens the fridge and reads 7.5°C — drifted overnight. They photograph the display, mark the fridge "needs engineer" on the canvas, move the stock to a working unit, and the day's prep adjusts. Without the check, that fridge served 8 hours of contaminated stock and nobody knew until evening service.

Why it works for your kitchen team: The check makes overnight problems visible at the start of the day, when there's still time to act. A drifted fridge, a broken seal, a propped-open back door — finding any of them at 7am means a 30-minute fix. Finding them at 6pm means a cancelled service or worse. The dated photo evidence also gives you a defensible record for the EHO or for any incident review.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (opening safety walk: fire exits, gas, electrical, fridges, freezers, water leaks, last night's clean)
• 1 photo capture for any flagged item
• 1 notes field for issues raised
• 1 signature from the opening team member

More variations: Show more kitchen opening checklist templates →

#2 - Pest control check

When in the day: End of service, between shifts, or before open.

Who runs it: Chef on duty.

What it is: A walk-through of the kitchen and back-of-house for pest activity. The team checks for droppings, gnaw marks, insects (live or dead), intact fly screens, sealed entry points around the back door and any wall penetrations, and the bin area. Anything found gets noted for the contractor, with a photo captured on the higher tier.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: The chef walks the kitchen after service, finds a few mouse droppings under back-of-house shelving, photographs them, and the canvas captures the activity. The pest contractor is called within the hour and visits the next day with traps. Without the in-house check, the activity grows for weeks until the contractor's next scheduled visit — by which point the kitchen could be closed by the EHO.

Why it works for your kitchen team: One pest sighting is enough to close a kitchen. The in-house check sits between your contractor's scheduled visits and catches activity early, while it's still localised. The dated record also shows exactly when activity started, which is essential evidence for any escalation with the contractor or the council.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (7 pest activity checks: droppings, gnaw marks, insects, fly screens, bait stations, entry points, bin area)
• 1 photo capture for any activity found
• 1 notes field for issues
• 1 signature

More variations: Show more pest control check templates →

#3 - Fridge temperature check

When in the day: Multiple times a day — morning, mid-service, end of service.

Who runs it: Whoever's on the rota for fridge checks, usually a junior chef or KP.

What it is: A short but frequent check that records the temperature of every commercial fridge in the kitchen. Each unit is read against the 5°C UK food-safety maximum. Anything reading above the threshold gets flagged and escalated — the canvas can trigger a notification straight to the head chef.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 11am the KP walks the fridges, reads each one, and finds an under-counter unit at 7°C. They photograph the display, the canvas escalates to the head chef, who pulls the stock to a working fridge and books an engineer. Without the regular check, the unit warms quietly through lunch service and the issue surfaces when evening service starts — too late to save the stock.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Fridges fail silently — there's no alarm on most commercial units, and stock can sit at room temperature for hours before anyone notices. Three checks a day catch most failures within hours of them happening, before stock spoils or becomes a health risk. The dated record is also exactly what an EHO asks for when they audit your cold chain.

Steps included:

• 1 unit selector (one entry per fridge)
• 1 temperature input
• 1 photo capture for any flagged unit
• 1 escalation prompt for out-of-range readings
• 1 notes field

More variations: Show more fridge temperature check templates →

#4 - Freezer temperature check

When in the day: Daily — usually paired with the fridge check.

Who runs it: Same team member as the fridge check.

What it is: Same shape as the fridge check but against the -18°C target. The team reads each freezer in the kitchen — walk-ins, under-counters, chest freezers — and flags any unit above the limit. Common causes of failure: door left propped overnight, seal damaged, or compressor on the way out.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: First thing in the morning the chef opens the walk-in freezer, reads -12°C on the wall display, and immediately knows it warmed overnight. They check the door seal — torn. They photograph it, the canvas escalates, the stock is moved to the back-up freezer, and an engineer is booked. Without the check, the team only notices when something defrosts on a shelf.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Freezers hold the longest-shelf-life stock you carry, which means a silent failure can spoil thousands of pounds of stock if it goes unnoticed. The check makes the temperature visible at known intervals, so a failing unit gets flagged within hours rather than days. The photo evidence on the higher tier also gives you proof for any insurance claim if stock is lost.

Steps included:

• 1 unit selector (one entry per freezer)
• 1 temperature input
• 1 photo capture for any flagged unit
• 1 escalation prompt for out-of-range readings
• 1 notes field

More variations: Show more freezer temperature check templates →

#5 - Dishwasher temperature check

When in the day: Through service — typically morning, mid-service, and end of service.

Who runs it: Whoever's running the dishwasher — usually a KP or commis.

What it is: A check that confirms the dishwasher is running at safe wash and rinse temperatures. The wash cycle typically sits at 55-65°C and the rinse needs to hit at least 82°C to properly sanitise plates and equipment. The team runs a thermometer strip or probe through a cycle and records the reading. Anything below the rinse target gets flagged and the dishwasher pulled out of service until it's fixed.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 11am the KP runs a thermometer strip through the dishwasher. The wash reads 60°C, the rinse reads 78°C — below the 82°C sanitation target. They photograph the reading, the canvas escalates to the head chef, who books an engineer and switches to manual washing in the prep sink. Without the check, the dishwasher runs sub-temp all day, plates leave the wash looking clean but not properly sanitised, and a norovirus outbreak rips through the team a few days later.

Why it works for your kitchen team: A dishwasher running below sanitising temperature is one of the most common silent kitchen failures — plates come out hot enough to look clean but don't kill bacteria. The check gets the actual temperature on record at intervals through the day, so you catch failures within hours rather than days. The dated record also matters to the EHO, who'll want to see proof you're verifying sanitisation, not just trusting the manufacturer's display.

Steps included:

• 1 wash temperature input
• 1 rinse temperature input
• 1 photo capture of the probe or strip reading
• 1 escalation prompt for sub-temp readings
• 1 notes field
• 1 signature

More variations: Show more dishwasher temperature check templates →

#6 - Cooked food temperature check

When in the day: Through service, on a sample of cooked dishes.

Who runs it: Section chefs at each station — grill, mains, garnish.

What it is: A probe-and-record check on finished dishes — chicken, pork, mince, pies, anything that needs to hit safe core temperature. The chef probes the centre of the cooked product, records the reading (target: 75°C for at least 30 seconds), and rejects or re-cooks anything that didn't hit the standard.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: During Friday-night service the grill chef plates a chicken thigh, probes it, and gets 68°C. They photograph the reading, mark it as a re-cook on the canvas, and the dish goes back on the grill. The customer gets a safe meal 4 minutes later. Without the check, the dish leaves the pass at 68°C and the kitchen finds out about it via a food-poisoning complaint a day later.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Undercooked chicken and mince cause the bulk of food-poisoning incidents in commercial kitchens. The check is the proof a dish reached safe core temperature, and the photo + signature variant gives you defensible evidence if a complaint arrives — proving the dish was probed and passed by a named chef.

Steps included:

• 1 dish selector (link to the menu item)
• 1 temperature input
• 1 photo capture of the probe reading
• 1 pass/re-cook decision
• 1 chef signature

More variations: Show more cooked food temperature check templates →

#7 - Cooled food temperature check

When in the day: After a batch cook, during the 90-minute cool-down window.

Who runs it: Section chef who cooked the dish or whoever's supervising the cool-down.

What it is: A two-stage probe check that verifies cooked food drops from 60°C down to below 8°C within 90 minutes — the FSA standard for safe cooling in the UK. The team probes the centre of the food at the start and end of the window, records both readings, and rejects anything that didn't make the descent. Common culprits: trays piled too deep, trays placed too close together in the walk-in, or the walk-in itself running warm.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: The team cooks a 20-litre batch of chilli at 3pm for next-day service. They portion it into shallow trays, probe each tray at 75°C, and start the cool-down. At 4:30pm they re-probe — three trays read below 5°C, but one in the back of the walk-in reads 12°C. They photograph the reading, mark that tray for disposal, and reposition for next time. Without the check, the warm tray goes into next-day service at 12°C and seeds a food-poisoning incident.

Why it works for your kitchen team: The 90-minute cool window is the highest-risk period for bacterial growth — food sitting in the danger zone (8°C to 60°C) doubles its bacterial load every 20 minutes. The check makes the cool-down auditable and forces the team to position trays correctly. The dated record also gives you EHO-grade evidence that your cooling protocol is being followed every batch cook, not just when someone remembers.

Steps included:

• 1 dish selector
• 1 start temperature input (at cook-off)
• 1 end temperature input (at 90 minutes)
• 1 photo capture of both readings
• 1 pass/dispose decision
• 1 chef signature

More variations: Show more cooled food temperature check templates →

#8 - Hot holding temperature check

When in the day: Through service — at 2, 4, and 6 hours of holding.

Who runs it: Section chef on the hot pass or whoever's running the holding equipment.

What it is: A probe-and-record check on food held hot in a bain-marie, holding cabinet, or display unit. UK food-safety guidance requires hot-held food to stay at 63°C or above continuously, with a single 2-hour grace period if it drops below. The team probes the centre of each held item at 2, 4, and 6 hours, records the reading, and discards anything that drifted under 63°C for too long. Common failure points: a bain-marie filled too deep, the holding unit set too low, or food held for longer than the equipment is built for.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: During Sunday lunch service the kitchen runs a 4-hour carvery with three hot-held trays — roast pork, gravy, seasonal veg. At 2 hours the section chef probes each, all sit between 65°C and 68°C, fine. At 4 hours the gravy reads 58°C — the bain-marie water has dropped. They photograph it, mark the gravy for disposal, top the water back up, and start a fresh batch. Without the check, the gravy stays on the pass at 58°C and a few hours of service later the kitchen's seeded a food-poisoning case.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Hot holding is one of the easiest controls to drift on — once food is on the pass, the team's attention is on the dish going out, not the temperature it's held at. Probing at fixed intervals catches drift before it becomes a customer-facing risk, and the dated record is what the EHO asks for when they audit hot holding controls. The photo evidence on the higher tier also proves the reading at the moment it was taken.

Steps included:

• 1 food item input
• 3 temperature inputs (at 2, 4, and 6 hours of holding)
• 1 photo capture of the probe reading
• 1 signature confirming each item was held at safe temperature

More variations: Show more hot holding temperature check templates →

#9 - Food delivery check

When in the day: As deliveries arrive — usually late morning.

Who runs it: Whoever's receiving stock — typically the sous chef, commis on duty, or KP.

What it is: A receiving check run against each delivery as it arrives. The team confirms the docket matches what landed, probes temperatures on chilled and frozen items, checks packaging for damage or open seals, and photographs any anomaly before stock enters storage. Anything outside spec — over-temperature stock, damaged packaging, missing items — is rejected back to the supplier on the spot.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 11am the cheese arrives at 9°C. The commis probes it, photographs the temperature reading, and the canvas captures the rejection. The driver takes the cheese back, the supplier is flagged, and the kitchen pivots its lunch menu. Without the check the cheese goes into the fridge, contaminates whatever sits next to it, and the team finds out at 2pm when a customer complains.

Why it works for your kitchen team: The check sits at the threshold between supplier and kitchen, where you can still refuse stock. Once it's in the fridge, that option is gone. The dated record also gives you a paper trail to challenge the supplier and to show an EHO that you're not just accepting whatever arrives.

Steps included:

• 1 supplier dropdown
• 1 docket photo
• 2 temperature inputs (chilled, frozen)
• 1 condition checklist (packaging, seals, damage)
• 1 notes field for issues raised
• 1 signature for sign-off

More variations: Show more food delivery check templates →

#10 - Daily kitchen cleaning checklist

When in the day: After service, before close.

Who runs it: Kitchen porter and/or whoever's the last team member down.

What it is: The full daily clean-down — every surface, appliance, and floor in the kitchen, plus the bin area. The canvas walks the team through walls, hobs, ovens, fryers, prep tables, floors, sinks, fridge exteriors, the dishwasher, and the bin area. Each station gets ticked, with photo evidence captured on the higher-tier versions.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At 11pm the kitchen porter starts the clean-down. They tick each surface as they go, take a photo of the hob and prep table for the record, and sign off when done. The head chef arrives in the morning to a clean kitchen with a dated record from last night. Without the canvas, the clean either gets skipped on busy nights or done inconsistently shift to shift.

Why it works for your kitchen team: A kitchen that isn't cleaned daily becomes a pest target within weeks — grease buildup attracts flies, food residue attracts rodents. The dated, photographed record proves the standard was held every day, which matters when you're working towards a 5-star FHRS rating or when an EHO asks "show me your cleaning schedule."

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (10+ stations: walls, hobs, ovens, fryers, prep tables, floors, sinks, fridge exteriors, dishwasher, bin area)
• 1 photo capture per station on higher tiers
• 1 notes field for issues raised
• 1 signature from the cleaning team member

More variations: Show more daily kitchen cleaning checklist templates →

#11 - Legionella check

When in the day: Weekly — typically a fixed day, run at a quiet point in service.

Who runs it: Site manager, head chef, or whoever owns the water-safety record.

What it is: A weekly flush of seldom-used water outlets — the ones at risk of stagnation, where legionella bacteria can culture in pipework that doesn't see regular flow. The team identifies each outlet, runs water at temperature for the specified flush duration, and ticks each as it's done. Outlets in scope are usually back-of-house hand-wash sinks, the staff bathroom shower, outside taps in the bin yard, and any other tap that goes more than a few days without use.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: Every Monday morning the head chef walks the seldom-used outlets — the back-of-house hand-wash sink that's only used during deep cleans, the staff bathroom shower, the outside tap on the bin yard — and runs each one for the required flush. They tick each as it's done, photograph any unusual flow or discolouration, and the canvas captures the weekly record. Without the check, water sits stagnant in pipework for weeks, legionella bacteria culture, and an HSE inspection finds a regulatory failure that you can't undo.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Legionnaires' disease is a notifiable illness and outbreaks in food businesses make national news. A weekly flush is the minimum hygiene control most water-safety risk assessments require, and the canvas creates the dated, signed record that proves you ran them. The photo evidence also lets you flag scale buildup or discolouration to a plumber before it becomes a bigger problem.

Steps included:

• 1 outlet checklist (one entry per seldom-used outlet)
• 1 flush duration confirmation per outlet
• 1 photo capture for any unusual flow or discolouration
• 1 notes field for issues
• 1 signature

More variations: Show more legionella check templates →

#12 - Food probe accuracy test

When in the day: Weekly — typically paired with the legionella check on a fixed day.

Who runs it: Head chef or section chef who owns the probes.

What it is: A calibration check that verifies each food probe in the kitchen is reading accurately. Each probe is tested against ice water (0°C target) and boiling water (100°C target). Probes drifting outside the ±1°C tolerance get re-calibrated or replaced. Without this check, every cooked food check, fridge check, cool-down check, and delivery check upstream is unreliable.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: Every Sunday morning the sous chef tests each of the kitchen's six probes. Five test within tolerance — the sixth reads 2°C in ice water. They photograph the failed reading, label the probe as out-of-service, and order a replacement. Without the test, that probe continues to give 2°C-too-high readings for weeks, and stock that the records show was at 4°C was actually sitting at 6°C — out of spec, spoiling, and unsafe.

Why it works for your kitchen team: The probe is the trust anchor for every temperature-related check in the kitchen. If the probe drifts, every downstream check is silently wrong. The weekly test catches drift before it corrupts your records, and the dated calibration log is exactly what the EHO asks for when they audit your temperature-control regime. It's also defensible evidence in any food-safety incident — proving the probe was verified accurate at the time the check was run.

Steps included:

• 1 probe selector (one entry per probe)
• 1 ice-water reading
• 1 boiling-water reading
• 1 photo capture of any out-of-tolerance probe
• 1 pass/replace decision
• 1 signature

More variations: Show more food probe accuracy test templates →

#13 - Weekly kitchen deep cleaning checklist

When in the day: Weekly — usually after the latest closing shift of the week, when service won't restart for hours.

Who runs it: Whole team, led by the head chef or KP supervisor.

What it is: The deeper clean that the daily wipe-down can't reach. The team pulls out hobs and fryers to clean behind them, descales the dishwasher, takes the extraction filters off and runs them through the soak, scrubs tile grouting, descales drains, and cleans the inside of fridges and freezers. Each station gets ticked, with photo evidence captured on the higher-tier versions.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: Every Sunday night the team stays an extra two hours after close to do the weekly deep clean. They pull the fryers out, descale the dishwasher, take the extraction filters off and run them through the soak. The canvas ticks each station as it's done and captures photos of the cleaned hood and behind-equipment areas. Without the schedule, grease builds up week on week, the extraction stops working efficiently, and you fail your next FHRS visit.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Daily cleans hold the surface, but they don't reach the deep grease, scale, and residue that build up behind and inside equipment. The weekly schedule is what keeps the kitchen at a 5-star FHRS standard and what stops cleaning becoming an emergency at the end of the month. The dated, photographed record also proves to the EHO and to your insurer that the standard was held every week.

Steps included:

• 1 station checklist (8+ stations: hobs pulled out, fryers cleaned, extraction filters, dishwasher descaled, grouting, drains, fridge and freezer interiors, bin store)
• 1 photo capture per station
• 1 notes field for issues raised
• 1 signature from the supervising team member

More variations: Show more weekly kitchen cleaning templates →