HACCP Temperature Logs: A Practical Guide for Small Restaurants

Every restaurant in the EU and UK is legally required to monitor and record the temperature of every fridge and freezer that holds food. Most independents do it on a paper sheet stuck to the fridge door. Most of those sheets are filled in retroactively on Friday morning. And most of them get lost in a drawer before the next EHO visit. There's a better way, and it doesn't cost more than a coffee a month. WHAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY REQUIRED TO LOG Under HACCP and food safety regulations (EU 852/2004, UK Food Safety Act), you need to demonstrate that you: 1. Know the safe temperature range for each unit (typically ≤5°C for fridges, ≤−18°C for freezers). 2. Check and record temperatures at defined intervals (most operators do morning + evening). 3. Take corrective action when a unit is out of range. 4. Keep records for inspection (most jurisdictions: minimum 3 months, often 12). The key word is "demonstrate". If the EHO can't see the records, the law treats it the same as never checking. WHY PAPER FAILS Three reasons paper logs cost you: 1. They get filled in retroactively. Everyone knows this — including the EHO. A binder with 30 identical "4°C" entries in the same handwriting is a red flag, not proof. 2. They get lost. Spilled coffee, accidentally binned, lost in a move. No records = no compliance. 3. They don't flag problems. A fridge slowly creeping from 4°C to 7°C over two weeks costs you food. Paper doesn't spot trends. WHAT A PROPER DIGITAL LOG LOOKS LIKE - Every unit (fridge, freezer, walk-in) listed with a number and type - Two log entries per day (morning, evening) — typed in seconds on a phone - Each entry records: temperature, who logged it, time, optional notes - Anything out of range gets flagged immediately - All records exportable for the EHO on demand In Restauranteur, every staff member with access can log temperatures from their phone in under 10 seconds per unit. Records are stamped with who entered them and when — no retroactive fill-ins. Anything outside safe range stands out on the dashboard. THE EHO VISIT When the inspector arrives, you don't go hunting for a binder. You open the app, filter by date range, and show 90 days of compliant records on the spot. That alone has saved operators improvement notices. WHY IT WORKS BEST IN ONE CONNECTED SYSTEM A standalone temperature app means your staff have one more login. A connected system means the same person who clocks in for their shift also logs the morning fridge temps as part of opening — no extra apps, no extra training. Same goes for cleaning records, food wastage, and stock counts. Compliance is easier when it lives inside the tool your team already uses every shift. Set it up free at restauranteur.app.