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 - 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 →

#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 - 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 →

#6 - 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 →

#7 - 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 →

#8 - Kitchen closing checklist

When in the day: Last thing, before locking up.

Who runs it: Head chef or the last team member out.

What it is: A final walk-through that confirms the kitchen is safe to leave overnight. The team isolates gas, turns off electrical equipment, closes fridges and freezers, empties sinks, confirms fire exits are clear, and checks the deep-clean is started or done. Anything that didn't get cleaned by close gets noted for the opening team tomorrow.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: At midnight the head chef walks the kitchen, ticks each station, photographs the bin area as proof of close-out, and locks up. The opening team arrives the next day to a kitchen they can trust. Without the check, a hob is left on overnight, the back door is left propped, or the dishwasher leaks for 8 hours — any of which is how fires, floods, or pest infestations start.

Why it works for your kitchen team: A kitchen left unsafe overnight is the single biggest source of out-of-hours incidents in commercial kitchens. The check is the final guard before the keys turn, and the dated, photographed record proves the standard was held. The escalation field also lets the closing chef flag anything the opening team needs to deal with first thing.

Steps included:

• 1 checklist (closing safety walk: gas isolated, electrical off, fridges/freezers closed, sinks empty, fire exits clear, deep-clean done or started)
• 1 photo capture for any flagged item
• 1 notes field for the opening team
• 1 signature from the closing chef

More variations: Show more kitchen closing checklist templates →

#9 - Personal hygiene training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, then refreshed periodically.

Who runs it: Every kitchen team member, on a recurring cadence.

What it is: A training programme covering handwashing technique and frequency, uniform standards (clean whites, hat or hairnet, no jewellery), the 48-hour exclusion rule for vomiting or diarrhoea symptoms, hand-sanitiser use, and the rule that ill team members must not enter the kitchen. The canvas walks each team member through the standards and captures their confirmation that they've understood.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new commis joins the team on Monday. Before they step into the kitchen on their first shift, the canvas walks them through the hygiene standards — handwashing technique, uniform, illness exclusion — and they sign off that they've understood. Six months later the canvas reminds them to refresh, and they go through it again. Without the programme, the standards are explained verbally by whichever senior is around — inconsistently, and with no record.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Cross-contamination from a chef's hands is one of the leading causes of food-poisoning incidents. The training programme gets the rules in front of every team member, captures their understanding, and creates a dated record that an EHO can see during an inspection. The recurring refresh stops the standard drifting over time.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (the standards: handwashing, uniform, jewellery, illness, sanitiser)
• 1 understanding check (multiple-choice or rating)
• 1 photo capture of the team member in uniform (optional)
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more personal hygiene training templates →

#10 - Allergen training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, then refreshed when new dishes launch.

Who runs it: Every kitchen team member who handles food or speaks to customers.

What it is: A training programme covering the 14 major allergens (celery, gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, peanuts, sesame, soybeans, sulphites, tree nuts), common hidden sources for each, cross-contamination risks during prep and service, and the protocol for handling a customer disclosure. The canvas walks each team member through allergen identification and captures their understanding.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new chef joins the team. Before they handle any food, the canvas walks them through the 14 allergens, the dishes on your menu that contain each, the cross-contamination risks in your kitchen specifically (shared fryer? shared chopping board?), and the steps to follow when a customer says they have an allergy. They sign off, and a record is created. Without the training, a customer disclosure is handled by whoever happens to be on the floor — sometimes correctly, sometimes not.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Allergen incidents can kill, and a single undeclared allergen has cost businesses millions in fines and closures (the precedent set by Natasha's Law). The training makes the team's knowledge auditable — which is exactly what an EHO checks during an allergen-focused visit. The recurring refresh when new dishes launch keeps the team current on what's actually on the menu.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (the 14 allergens, hidden sources, your menu's specific risks)
• 1 understanding check on the 14 allergens
• 1 protocol walkthrough for customer disclosures
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more allergen training templates →

#11 - Knife safety training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed when staff move to new knife tasks.

Who runs it: Every kitchen team member who handles knives.

What it is: A training programme covering knife selection for the task (chef's knife vs paring vs boning), grip and stance, the claw and bridge cuts, sharpening and honing, cleaning and storing knives safely, and the protocol for reporting and treating cuts. The canvas walks each team member through the techniques with images or short video clips and captures their understanding.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new KP starts and is asked to prep onions for service. Before they pick up a knife, the canvas walks them through the basics — grip, claw cut, what NOT to do — and they sign off. Six months later they're asked to bone out a chicken, and the canvas refreshes them on the bridge cut and on the boning-knife specifics. Without the training, the team learns by watching whoever's around and gets cut along the way.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Cuts are the most common kitchen injury and almost entirely preventable with basic technique. The training gets the technique in front of every starter before they touch a blade, and the recurring refresh maintains the standard. The record also gives you defensible evidence that you trained the team — which matters if a cut becomes a workplace accident report.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (knife selection, grip, the claw and bridge cuts)
• 1 photo or video guidance per technique
• 1 understanding check
• 1 protocol for reporting cuts
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more knife safety training templates →

#12 - Manual handling training

When in the day: Foundational — at induction, refreshed annually.

Who runs it: Every kitchen team member who lifts stock, equipment, or heavy pots.

What it is: A training programme covering safe lifting posture (back straight, knees bent, weight through the legs), when to use a trolley vs lift solo, the rules for moving heavy stock pots (use two people, use a thick cloth, test the heat first), and the "test the weight first" principle for unfamiliar deliveries. The canvas walks each team member through the techniques and captures their understanding.

Available on: Standard.

In practice: A new commis joins the team and on their first delivery is asked to move a 25kg sack of flour. Before they lift, the canvas walks them through the safe-lifting technique — and tells them to use the trolley parked behind reception. They use the trolley. Without the training, they bend at the waist, lift wrong, and have a back issue by the end of their first month.

Why it works for your kitchen team: Back injuries from poor lifting account for a huge share of kitchen workplace claims and time-off-sick days. The training reduces incidents by getting the technique in front of every new starter and reinforcing it annually. The record also gives you defensible evidence if a claim arrives — proving the team was trained on safe lifting.

Steps included:

• 1 rich-text training module (lifting posture, when to use a trolley, stock-pot rules)
• 1 photo guidance for posture
• 1 understanding check
• 1 protocol for reporting back issues
• 1 signature confirming understanding

More variations: Show more manual handling training templates →