Nothing strikes fear into the heart of a restaurant owner quite like the words ‘health inspection’.
You know how hard you have worked to maintain the highest standards of health and safety in your restaurant but what if something goes wrong at the worst possible time on the big day? What if standards slip for a split second? What if a herd of cattle come storming through the front door in the centre of town?
OK, that last one is probably pretty unlikely, but it is easy to let your imagination run wild.
A poor health inspection can ruin everything that you have worked so hard for, so it is natural to feel a bit nervous, but with this guide by your side you have everything you could ever possibly need to pass your next inspection with flying colours.
What happens if you fail a health inspection?
Nothing good. Health inspections have the potential to result in heavy fines or even a suspension of trading licences until you can prove that problems have been resolved and standards have risen.
This is bad enough but it is the reputation damage that such an incident can cause that can be most fatal to businesses.
Let’s be honest, who is going to go to a restaurant to eat if they have just reopened following a pest infestation that was all over the local news?
The easiest way to avoid these problems? Make sure you pass the health inspection.
Given that not all inspections are pre-warned and impromptu restaurant inspections are quite common, the best thing to do is demand the highest possible standards at all times and ensure that any moment a health inspector walks through your doors they will be wowed by the hygienic environment.
What happens during a health inspection?
The health inspector inspects you off course. They will examine every aspect of your business in minute detail, looking for anything that could compromise the safety of your customers.
Food contamination is the main priority, but if this isn’t already top of your list as a restaurant owner, you are doing something wrong.
During a health inspection, the examiner will look for any of the following:
Poor food storage practices
Raw food over cooked food, food left out of the refrigerator, a lack of use-by dates or preparation records, anything that could contaminate the food that you intend to serve your customers.
Pest Issues
This is a big one. You should look to bring in professional pest control Services Bradford to make sure you meet your requirements in this aspect of health and safety as a single sniff or sign of a pest is enough for the health inspector to slam the doors shut at least temporarily.
Work with a professional to put a strong anti-pest strategy in place.
Poor Staff Behaviour
Your staff need to be as committed to hygiene as you are. Hair left loose in the kitchen, no gloves, lack of care and attention? All big no nos.
Take all these things into account and your next health inspection will be a walk in the park
