Getting my kitchen approved by local authority...

[Salteena]

.....can anyone reassure me that it won't be a terrifying ordeal?
All this has come about because I'll be doing some very small-scale catering, more on a hobby basis than anything else, but because a relative's asked me to do some cooking for a local club/society for which I'll be paid, I need to get it all approved by the environmental people (local authorities vary but mine seems to be quite strict). I have a Level 2 Food Safety qualification and understand how important it is to follow the law - I have no problem with that, obviously. My kitchen's well-equipped and clean, but it's just a normal home kitchen when it comes down to it.
I'm now getting worried, having done the food safety course, about all the stringent rules about things like checking fridge temperatures, having a cleaning schedule, even disinfecting things like pens and pencils if they're kept in the kitchen...all sorts of things more geared to a professional set-up.

What level of facilities might they expect? Will they turn out all my cupboards and condemn them?! Has anyone had this done...Comeoveneer, I know you have, if you're there!

Bump

watching with interest
i'm sure that there was a similar thread on the self employed/free-lancers board
but the MN-er in question was specialising in cakes

Hi there. I do think it varies between local authorities to a certain extent, but the basics are the same. It is also different depending on the type of food preparation. For me it was less stringent because of the type of food. I know those dealing in more complex cateringhave stricter regulations because of handling raw meat, storage of raw and cooked ingredients etc. From my experience having a home kitchen approved, it is about showing you are aware of what is needed to maintain a hygienic functioning kitchen and that you are doing so. It doesnt need to be ridiculously sterile, just clean, uncluttered, proper storage of food and equipment. I did a few simple things like added a pull down fly screen to the window to allow for it to be open whilst working, removed and plants, kept surfaces as bare as possible etc.

They are looking to see it is a good clean working environment, with reasonably modern efficient equipment, not a top of the range, you can perform open herat surgery on the table, type kitchen.

Relax it will be fine.

Thanks for the reassurance, ComeOveneer - I was hoping you'd see my post! I too will be baking; there definitely won't be any preparation of raw meat, 'hot-holding', or any high-risk foods, and most if not all of it will be made/decorated on the day of sale. I've been reassuring myself by thinking of all the professional kitchens I've seen (I worked in one for a while) which are considerably messier and less organised than my own kitchen!

Just out of interest, are you expected to do things like keeping fridge-temperature records, or are they a bit more relaxed about that sort of thing considering that baking is relatively 'low-risk' in hygiene terms?