Hot holding and cooling: the temperatures to know
By the Daybook teamPublished 20 October 2026Last checked 20 October 2026
Covers: England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with the Scotland reheating rule noted
The short answer
Hold hot food at 63 °C or above if you’re not serving it straight away. Food can be below 63 °C for up to 2 hours; after that, cool it to 8 °C or below as quickly as possible, or throw it away.
The temperatures in one table
| What | Temperature or time | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Hot holding | 63 °C or above | GOV.UK guidance |
| Below 63 °C | Up to 2 hours, then cool or discard | GOV.UK guidance |
| Cooking (standard) | Core 70 °C for 2 minutes | GOV.UK guidance |
| Cooking (equivalents) | 65 °C for 10 min · 75 °C for 30 sec · 80 °C for 6 sec | GOV.UK guidance |
| Reheating | Steaming hot throughout, and only once | GOV.UK guidance |
| Reheating in Scotland | At least 82 °C | Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006 |
Hot holding in practice
- Heat food fully before it goes into a bain-marie or hot cupboard. They’re designed to keep hot food hot, not to heat it up.
- Probe the centre of the food at set times during service and record it.
- Stir food in a bain-marie so the middle and the edges stay hot.
- If a reading is below 63 °C, reheat it (once), or apply the 2-hour rule.
Cooking to a safe core temperature
GOV.UK gives 70 °C for 2 minutes as the standard advice, with equivalent combinations at other temperatures. Insert a clean probe into the centre or thickest part of the food. Poultry, pork, rolled joints, minced meat products and offal must be cooked all the way through; whole cuts of beef and lamb only need the outside sealed.
Cooling food safely
Cool cooked food as quickly as possible, then chill it at 8 °C or below. Divide it into smaller portions, use shallow trays, or stand it in iced water. Don’t put hot food straight into a fridge full of other food: it warms everything else. Your food safety management system should say how you cool food and how long it takes.
Scotland is different for reheating
In Scotland, food that is reheated before it’s served must reach at least 82 °C, unless that would spoil the food. If you run kitchens on both sides of the border, write both rules into your procedures.
Free template
Hot holding temperature log (PDF)
Sources
- GOV.UK: cooking safely
- GOV.UK: chilling and freezing food
- Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006, Schedule 4
Rules can change and differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Check with your local authority food safety team if you’re unsure. Daybook helps you keep records. It does not give legal advice or certify training.
Keep this record on your phone
Fridge temperature log, signed and dated.
Daybook is the food safety diary for UK kitchens. Staff sign each check on their own iPhone; the office reads the week and makes an inspection record for any dates.