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Food safety records you legally need as a UK mobile caterer
UK food hygiene law expects you to show you manage food safety, and records are how you prove it. Here are the records a mobile caterer should keep and why.
The records a mobile caterer should keep
Small food businesses in the UK are generally expected to follow a documented food-safety management system based on HACCP principles — most mobile caterers use the FSA's Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) pack. In practice that means keeping:
- Temperature records — fridge, freezer, hot-holding, plus probe checks on cooking, cooling and reheating.
- Cleaning records — your cleaning schedule with sign-offs.
- Opening and closing checks — the daily diary confirming your safe methods were followed.
- Delivery records — supplier, date and condition/temperature of high-risk deliveries.
- Cooking and cooling records — evidence food reached safe temperatures.
- Allergen information — an accurate matrix of the 14 allergens for every dish.
- Corrective actions — what you did when something went wrong (e.g. a fridge running warm).
- Training records — proof staff understand safe food handling.
How long should you keep them?
A common, sensible approach is to keep daily records for at least three months, and longer where practical. Your local authority may advise a specific period, so check with them. Digital records make this effortless — nothing to store in a damp van or lose between events.
Why records matter more than the food itself
An EHO can't watch you cook every day, so your records are how you demonstrate control over time. Good records directly feed the "confidence in management" score that shapes your food hygiene rating. Paper works, but it gets wet, lost or forgotten — which is exactly why many mobile caterers move to a phone-based log.
Keep these records without the paperwork
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Start your free trialFrequently asked questions
Is it a legal requirement to keep food safety records?
UK food businesses must have a documented food-safety management system based on HACCP. For most mobile caterers that means keeping SFBB-style records such as temperature, cleaning and daily checks, and being able to show them on request.
How long should I keep my food safety records?
Keep daily records for at least three months as a common rule of thumb, and longer where practical. Your local authority may specify a period, so it's worth confirming with them.
Do I need paper records or is digital fine?
Digital records are accepted and often preferred, because they are time-stamped, legible and can't get wet or lost. The key is that they are accurate and available when an officer asks.
Last updated 19 July 2026. This guide is general information for UK mobile caterers, not legal advice — always check the specific requirements of your local authority.