The Food Consultant

We find your critical points before the inspector does.

Food safety and health & safety consultancy for London restaurants, kitchens and food producers. HACCP, traceability, EHO visits, SALSA and BRCGS, set up properly and simple enough that your team actually uses it.

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Free 20-minute call. Fixed quotes. Replies within one working day.

A HACCP plan in miniature: hot food, cooked to order. Choose a step to see how it's controlled. Process step Critical control point

Cook

Critical control point 1
Hazard
Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli O157 surviving in undercooked food.
Control
Cook until the thickest part reaches a safe core temperature.
Critical limit
Core 75 °C, or an equivalent such as 70 °C for 2 minutes.
Monitoring
Probe every batch at the thickest point and record the reading.
If it goes wrong
Keep cooking until the limit is reached. Check the probe calibration and retrain if needed.

We work to the same standards your inspector and auditor use

  • BRCGS Food Safety
  • BRCGS Agents & Brokers
  • SALSA
  • Food Hygiene Rating Scheme
  • Safer Food Better Business
  • Codex HACCP principles
  • Natasha's Law
  • HSE guidance

What do you need?

A restaurant that wants a 5 rating needs something very different from a manufacturer going for BRCGS. Start with the one that fits you.

Certification

BRCGS

Food Safety for manufacturers and packers. Agents & Brokers for importers and traders who never handle the product. Every client we've supported has achieved AA or A.

BRCGS support

Certification

SALSA

For small food and drink producers who need approval to supply retailers, farm shops and wholesalers.

SALSA support

No certification needed

Restaurants & catering

Due diligence for restaurants, cafés, takeaways and caterers: a good hygiene rating and records that stand up to an inspection.

Restaurant support

Workplace safety

Health & safety

Policy, risk assessments, COSHH, fire safety and accident reporting for kitchens, food sites and warehouses.

Health & safety support

When people usually call us

Most clients get in touch because of something specific. Here's what we do in each case.

  • Your last inspection left you with a 1 or a 2.

    We go through the inspector's report with you, fix what they found, and help you request a re-rating visit.

    EHO support

  • A retailer wants SALSA before they'll list you.

    We run a gap analysis against the standard, build the missing procedures and records, then do a mock audit before the real one.

    SALSA readiness

  • You're opening a new kitchen.

    Food business registration, layout advice, HACCP, cleaning schedules and staff training, done before the doors open.

    New site opening

  • A customer reported an allergic reaction.

    We help you respond straight away, find out what happened, and tighten your allergen controls so it doesn't happen again.

    Allergen management

  • Your BRCGS audit is eight weeks away.

    We check every clause against what you already have, fix the gaps in order of priority, and stay on hand during the audit.

    BRCGS readiness

  • You've been served an improvement notice.

    We explain exactly what the notice requires, plan the work against its deadline, and help you show the officer it's done.

    Improvement notices

Services

Take one piece or the whole system. Everything we write belongs to you and is written for the way your site actually runs.

Food safety systems

HACCP plans
Hazard analysis, process flows, critical limits and monitoring, built from scratch or reviewed every year.
Traceability and recall
One-up, one-down records that trace a finished product back to its batch, plus mock recall tests you can show an auditor.
Food safety management system
Policies, procedures, forms and records under proper document control, so everything is easy to find.
Supplier approval
Risk-based supplier approval, questionnaires, and specifications for raw materials and finished products.
Shelf life and testing
Plans to validate shelf life, and help arranging and interpreting microbiological and allergen lab tests.
Food fraud and defence
Vulnerability and threat assessments, which BRCGS and SALSA both require.

Allergens and labelling

Allergen management
An allergen risk assessment, an allergen matrix for your menu or product range, and controls against cross-contact.
Natasha's Law
Full ingredient and allergen labels for food prepacked for direct sale (PPDS).
Label checks
We check your labels against UK food information law before they go to print.
Menu allergen information
Clear allergen information and staff guidance for restaurants, cafés and delivery platforms.

Inspections and audits

Environmental health officer visits
We help you prepare, can join you on the day, and give you a clear plan to act on the report afterwards.
Improvement notices
We explain what the notice requires and help you complete the work before the deadline.
Food hygiene rating
Re-rating visit requests and right-to-reply statements, backed by evidence of the improvements.
SALSA
Readiness for the SALSA standard, whether it's your first audit or you're moving up from Safer Food Better Business. How we help with SALSA.
BRCGS
Preparation for BRCGS Food Safety, and Agents & Brokers. How we help with BRCGS.
Gap analysis and mock audits
An unannounced-style audit against the standard, with a written list of what to fix, in order of priority.
Customer audits
Getting you ready for technical audits from retailers, wholesalers and other customers.

Health & safety

A written policy, risk assessments, COSHH, manual handling, fire safety arrangements and accident reporting, set up for the way a kitchen or food site actually works.

See our health & safety service

Training

Food hygiene
Level 2 for food handlers and Level 3 for supervisors, delivered at your site.
HACCP
For the team members who run and verify your HACCP plan.
Allergen awareness
For front-of-house and kitchen staff, based on your own menu.
Internal auditor
So your own team can audit your system between visits.
Toolbox talks
Fifteen-minute sessions on a single topic, run during a quiet shift.

Ongoing support

New site opening
Food business registration with your local authority, layout and workflow advice, and systems set up before you open.
Safer Food Better Business
SFBB packs set up and filled in correctly for smaller caterers and retailers.
Retained visits
A monthly or quarterly visit with an internal audit, record checks and a short report.
Cleaning and pest control
A review of your cleaning schedules, verification checks and pest control contract.
Incidents and complaints
Root-cause investigation, corrective action, and replies to customers or the authorities.

Three ways to work with us

Every piece of work has a fixed quote agreed before we start, so you won't get an open-ended day rate.

Project

For one specific problem.

  • A new or reviewed HACCP plan
  • An allergen matrix and Natasha's Law labels
  • An action plan after an inspection
  • Health & safety risk assessments

Usually 1 to 4 weeks

Audit ready

For getting certified to SALSA or BRCGS.

  • Gap analysis against the standard
  • Building the full system with your team
  • Training for staff and internal auditors
  • A mock audit and support on audit day
  • Help closing out any non-conformities

Usually 8 weeks to 6 months

Retained

For staying ready all year.

  • Monthly or quarterly site visits
  • Internal audits and record checks
  • Updates when laws or standards change
  • Phone and email support between visits
  • An annual HACCP review

A fixed monthly fee

How it works

Most projects follow the same five steps.

  1. Free call

    Twenty minutes to understand your business, your deadline and what's worrying you.

  2. Site visit and gap analysis

    We walk the site, read your records and talk to the people who do the work.

  3. Written action plan

    A list of what to fix, in order of priority, with who does it and by when. Plus a fixed quote.

  4. Build it with your team

    Documents, records and training that fit the way your kitchen or factory already runs.

  5. Inspection or audit day

    We're on hand, in person or by phone, and we help you close out any findings afterwards.

Would you pass an inspection tomorrow?

Tick each statement that's true for your site today. It's a quick check against what inspectors look at first, not a hygiene rating.

0 of 10

Tick the statements that are true for your site.

Talk through your gaps

Our work

We keep our clients confidential, so we don't name them here. This is the kind of work we do for them, often over many years. References are available on request.

BRCGS Food Safety

Dairy and bakery manufacturers

What we do
Develop the BRCGS food safety system, then maintain it year after year so the site stays audit-ready.
Result
Grade AA or A for every client.
BRCGS support

BRCGS Agents & Brokers

Traders in dried commodities, oils and sauces

What we do
Develop and maintain the Agents & Brokers system: supplier approval, specifications, traceability and incident management.
Result
Grade AA or A for every client.
Agents & Brokers support

SALSA

Renowned restaurant chains in London and Kent

What we do
Create and develop food safety systems to the SALSA standard.
SALSA support

EHO support

Restaurants and small food businesses

What we do
Help many restaurants and small businesses manage and deal with environmental health officers: preparing for visits, responding to reports and working through improvement notices.
Restaurant support

Who we work with

  • Restaurants and takeaways
  • Cafés and coffee shops
  • Central and dark kitchens
  • Event and contract caterers
  • Bakeries
  • Food manufacturers
  • Importers, agents and brokers
  • Wholesalers and cold stores
  • Market stalls and street food
  • Care homes and nurseries

Where we work

We're based in London and visit sites across Greater London and Kent. Training and document reviews can be done remotely anywhere in the UK.

Camden, Hackney, Islington, Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lambeth, Westminster, Brent, Ealing, Haringey, Newham, Croydon, Hounslow, Barnet and surrounding boroughs.

About The Food Consultant

A London consultancy that gives food businesses senior technical expertise, without the cost of a full-time technical manager.

We have more than 20 years' experience helping food businesses build and maintain their food safety systems, from restaurant chains in London to food manufacturers, agents and brokers. References are available on request.

We've sat on both sides of the audit table. We know what an inspector or auditor looks for, and we know what a busy kitchen can realistically keep up with. The systems we build are written for the people who fill in the records every day, not for a shelf.

  • Plain English. No jargon in your procedures, and nothing your team can't follow.
  • Fixed quotes. You know the cost before we start.
  • Yours to keep. Every document we write belongs to you.
  • Proven at audit. Every client we have supported through BRCGS has achieved grade AA or A.

Qualifications

  • BRCGS third-party auditor
  • Level 4 Award in Food Safety
  • Level 4 HACCP
  • SALSA-approved training
  • Food Science degree from a UK university

Questions

Can't find your answer here? Ask us directly.

Which areas do you cover?

We visit sites across Greater London and Kent. Training, document reviews and follow-up support can all be done remotely, wherever you are in the UK.

What's the difference between SALSA and BRCGS?

SALSA is designed for smaller producers and is often enough for local retailers, farm shops and regional wholesalers. BRCGS is the standard most national supermarkets and larger customers ask for, and it's more demanding. If you're not sure which one you need, ask your customer what they'll accept. We can help you plan a route from one to the other. More on SALSA and BRCGS.

Can you deal with the environmental health officer for us?

Yes. We can prepare you for a visit, join you on the day, and help write your response to their report. The legal responsibility stays with the food business operator, so we make sure you understand and own everything we put in place.

How long does it take to get ready for an audit?

For a small business starting from scratch, eight to twelve weeks is typical for SALSA and three to six months for BRCGS. If you already have some systems in place, it can be much quicker. The gap analysis gives you a realistic timeline.

Do we need a HACCP plan or is Safer Food Better Business enough?

Every food business must have food safety procedures based on HACCP principles. For many small caterers and retailers, a properly completed Safer Food Better Business pack meets that requirement. Manufacturers, and anyone working towards SALSA or BRCGS, need a full HACCP plan.

How much does it cost?

The first call is free. After the site visit, you get a fixed quote for the work in the action plan, so there are no open-ended day rates. Retained support is a fixed monthly fee.

Do you cover health & safety as well as food safety?

Yes. Many small food businesses need both, and it's simpler to have one person who knows your site. We can take on either one, or both. See our health & safety service.

Do your training courses come with certificates?

Yes. Every attendee gets a certificate, and you get a training record for your files that an inspector or auditor can check.

Book a free call

Tell us a little about your business and what you need. We reply within one working day, and the first call is free.

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