Pubs sit awkwardly in food safety. A wet-led pub doing toasties and a food-led gastropub have the same legal duty to keep records based on HACCP principles, but very different kitchens — and often no dedicated kitchen manager to own the paperwork. The result tends to be a diary that gets filled in properly for a fortnight after an inspection and then drifts.
1,068
pubs on the FSA register
73%
currently hold a 5
Across the 9 Devon council areas we currently publish ratings for. Figures come from the Food Standards Agency’s published data and are refreshed weekly — browse the ratings by area.
What makes food safety harder in pubs
Split responsibility
The kitchen closes at nine and the bar runs until midnight. Whoever locks up may never have touched the food safety diary, but the closing checks still need recording.
High staff turnover
Bar teams change constantly, and casual staff often cover food service at short notice. Everyone handling food needs to know the checks, and you need to show they were told.
"It is only a few dishes"
A short food menu does not reduce the legal duty. Environmental health officers assess a pub serving eight dishes on the same basis as a restaurant serving forty.
Allergens asked at the bar
The question usually lands with whoever is pouring, not with the chef. They need the right answer without walking to the kitchen to find someone.
Where a digital record helps
None of the above is solved by better handwriting. What changes it is recording each check at the moment it happens, on a device that is already in the room — so the record is made once, by the person who did the check, and nothing has to be reconstructed at the end of the week.
On paper
- Filled in from memory after service
- One folder, one place, one copy
- Gaps only show up during an inspection
- No way to tell who recorded what
Recorded as you work
- Logged at the moment the check happens
- On any phone, anywhere in the building
- Missed checks are visible the same day
- Every entry timestamped and attributed
Checks on the device already behind the bar
Opening and closing routines, fridge and cellar temperatures and cleaning are recorded on a phone or shared tablet — so the person locking up can complete them without hunting for a folder.
Allergen answers front-of-house can reach
Bar staff look up any dish on a phone and get the current allergen information, rather than guessing or interrupting service to ask the kitchen.
Built for one site, not a chain
No head-office rollout, no consultant. An independent pub can be set up and recording the same week.
The underlying method is the same one the FSA expects: a food safety management system based on HACCP principles, usually via Safer Food, Better Business, kept alive by the daily records. A digital food safety management system does not change what you have to do — it changes how much of your day it takes and how quickly you can prove it.
Frequently asked questions
Does a pub that only does bar snacks need food safety records?
Yes. The duty to have food safety management procedures based on HACCP principles applies to any business handling food, regardless of menu size. A smaller, simpler menu means a simpler plan and fewer checks — not no plan and no records. Guidance, not legal advice.
Do pubs get a food hygiene rating?
Yes — pubs serving food are inspected and rated under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, exactly like restaurants and cafés. You can look up any pub, including your own, with our free rating checker.
Can bar staff use it without a lot of training?
That is the design. Checks are short prompts on a phone rather than forms to fill in, so someone can complete a closing routine on their first shift. Training modules and quizzes are in the same app when you need to show competence.
What about cellar temperatures?
Any location you need to monitor can be set up as a temperature check point on its own schedule — cellars, under-bar fridges, the kitchen walk-in — and each reading is timestamped and attributed.
Built for one independent kitchen, not a chain
Temperatures, cleaning, allergens and training — recorded as your team works, and ready to show whenever someone asks.
Start your free trial14 days free · No card · Cancel anytime
Related: Food hygiene checklist · EHO inspection checklist · Temperature logs · All guides
Last reviewed July 2026 · HospoPilot editorial · General guidance, not legal advice.