Bess Popplewell (Open House Trustee) has a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate and has directed the volunteer team on how to meet Food Hygiene and Safe Food Handling standards. Our pop-up cafe environment is classed as very low risk and the below guidance is tailored to the Open House experience.
The main risks during service or display of food are:
- Inadequate temperature control
- Cross contamination
Open House does not use fridges or freezers in their pop-up cafes, but are able to use the main fridges associated with the venue hosting the cafe. Milk is transferred from the venue’s fridge into a thermos flask in order to keep it cold. Oat and soy milks are served at ambient temperature, and disposed of at the end of a 4-hour shift.
Our cakes are served at ambient temperatures, having been defrosted according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Cakes that are not sold on the first day can be wrapped and stored in a fridge for a second day, but must be disposed of after this.
Food Storage
- Never use food after the ‘Use by’ date since it might not be safe to eat.
- Check food with a short shelf life every day to make sure it is still within the ‘Use by’ date.
- Follow any storage instructions on the product label or packaging.
Food Preparation
- Observe good personal hygiene.
- Separation of till/money handling and food handling.
- Use different chopping boards/work surfaces for gluten-free (GF) and other cake.
- Use different equipment and utensils for GF and ready to eat food wherever possible.
- Clean equipment and surfaces thoroughly before and after use.
- Avoid unnecessary handling of food – use clean tongs, plates, or trays instead.
- Keep chilled food out of the fridge for the shortest time possible during prep.
- Use drinking water to wash and prepare food or make ice.
- Do not prepare food for yourself or others if you are ill, especially with sickness and/or diarrhea.
- Wear gloves where possible
Clean As You Go
- While you are working, it is a good idea to clean as you go, mopping up any spills as they happen and cleaning work surfaces, equipment, and floors (if possible) frequently so that waste and dirt do not build up.
- Keep storage area clean.
- Arrange for rubbish to be removed frequently.
- Use a bin with liner for waste. Empty and clean it regularly.
Personal Hygiene Overview
Food can be contaminated very easily when it is handled. Therefore, it is essential that you always maintain good standards of personal hygiene to ensure that food does not get contaminated with harmful germs.
Hand washing
Hand washing is the most important method of preventing the spread of all sorts of infections. Hands must be washed regularly, and especially:
- Before starting work
- Before handling food
- After a break
- After emptying rubbish
- After using the toilet
- After contact with hair or face, including blowing nose.
Staff working in food areas should:
- Wear clean clothes
- Use gloves
- Use serving equipment where possible
- Cover cuts or sores with clean blue waterproof dressings (found in the first aid kit)
- Not cough or sneeze over food
- Not smoke
- Not wear jewelry or false nails which might fall into food.
Preparation for handwashing
Soap physically removes from the skin the micro-organisms that can cause infection. It is all that is necessary to remove most germs. Liquid soap is the best type to use as it is easy to cover all the hands. If a bar of soap is used, make sure to rinse the bar after handwashing to leave it clean for the next person.
Your hands should be washed thoroughly with soap and hot water. Soap will only prevent infection if all parts of the hands are washed and dried thoroughly. Attention should be paid to the backs of the hands, in between the fingers and the thumbs.
Team Illness
Staff experiencing sickness and diarrhea should not be working.
Staff experiencing colds and flu and coronavirus should not be handling food and drinks.