C ONSCIOUS KITCHENS:

How former EHO Amy Irwin is helping businesses eliminate dread from inspection time

Amy Irwin founded Conscious Kitchens back in 2021, seizing a valuable opportunity within the foodservice industry. For over a decade, Amy worked as an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) and has now developed a service to enable food businesses to fully prepare for their inspections. Here, Amy shares her tips on eliminating dread from inspection time and how to help your business to thrive!

What do you think of when you hear, “The EHO is here”? Does the kitchen turn to chaos? Does everyone begin to scurry around ‘fixing’ things before they’re seen?

“Hide that! Move this! Wash your hands! STOP! Don’t put that there!” Does this sound familiar? Can you recall that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach?

I want to tell you that it doesn’t have to be like that. Traditionally, an Environmental Health Officer would do a ‘floors, walls and ceilings’ type of inspection, but those days are long gone. With the diversity of food available to us now, and the ever-changing complexity of food preparation methods, food safety risks have evolved alongside them. A visiting EHO only sees a snapshot of your business during an inspection, so they should ask plenty of questions to understand how you operate daily. Only by gathering this information can they best advise you in terms of food safety and associated risks.

Here’s a selection of basic steps you can take to be prepared

Ensure that all staff are trained in food safety and hygiene. This is a legal requirement, but also one that is beneficial to your business. Keep your kitchen and all food storage areas well organised. An organised food preparation area will ensure that stock is well-rotated, that areas are always accessible for cleaning, and will also reduce the potential for crosscontamination.

Ensure you have adequate sinks: a handwash basin with soap and paper towel; one dedicated food preparation sink, and a double bowl sink if you are washing dishes and equipment by hand. These sinks must be able to take your largest piece of equipment. Alternatively, you could opt for one sink and a dishwasher.

Ensure you have a thermometer, and that everyone in the kitchen knows how to use it. When measuring temperatures for your records, check the temperature of the food daily, and sanitise the thermometer after each use with a sanitising wipe or something similar.

Maintain a good standard of cleaning and use a daily cleaning schedule.

But where can you get even more advice?

There are many rules around food safety nowadays, but certain legislation is open to interpretation. Ultimately, the EHO will leave it up to you to demonstrate compliance. You must be able to explain why you are taking each step and demonstrate that it is a safe way to prepare the food. Be confident in your process and give a detailed explanation.

Who can you ask for guidance when preparing for your inspection? This is just one element of what I offer to businesses. I can conduct a full inspection for you and provide you with detailed feedback. I was an Environmental Health Officer for more than 10 years. I want to use my experience in a proactive way to empower food business operators to fearlessly face inspection time.

Food is universal and a beautiful way to celebrate all of life’s occasions. Cheers to all the wonderful creatives within the foodservice industry!