Safer Food Better Business: what it is and who needs it
By the Daybook teamPublished 20 October 2026Last checked 20 October 2026
Covers: All four UK nations, with differences noted
The short answer
Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) is a free set of packs from the Food Standards Agency that helps small food businesses put a food safety management system in place and keep the records the law expects. It includes safe methods for your kitchen and a diary for daily checks.
Why it exists
Every food business must have a food safety management system based on HACCP principles. Writing one from scratch is hard for a small cafe or restaurant, so SFBB gives you one to fill in: ready-made safe methods you adapt to your kitchen, plus a diary to record your checks.
Which pack
- Caterers (restaurants, cafes, takeaways)
- Retailers
- Indian cuisine
- Chinese cuisine
- Childminders
- A supplement for residential care homes
What’s inside
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Cross-contamination | Keeping raw and ready-to-eat food apart, cleaning, allergens |
| Cleaning | Hand washing, cleaning schedules, clean as you go |
| Chilling | Chilled storage, chilled display, cooling, defrosting |
| Cooking | Cooking safely, hot holding, reheating, checking it’s cooked |
| Management | Opening and closing checks, training, suppliers, stock |
| Diary | Daily records and anything that went wrong |
How the diary works
You record daily checks in the diary, and write down anything different, including problems and what you did. GOV.UK says you can fill it in electronically or on paper, and that you should keep completed pages safely until your next visit from a local authority food safety officer.
Scotland and Northern Ireland
In Scotland, caterers usually use CookSafe from Food Standards Scotland. In Northern Ireland, the equivalent is Safe Catering. They do the same job: a HACCP-based system you adapt to your business.
Where Daybook fits
Daybook doesn’t replace your SFBB safe methods. It replaces the paper diary: the daily checks, signed by the person who did them, with the time. Your safe methods still apply.
Free template
Cafe opening checklist (PDF)
Sources
- GOV.UK: Safer food, better business (SFBB)
- GOV.UK: food safety management systems
- Food Standards Scotland: CookSafe
- GOV.UK: Safe Catering (Northern Ireland)
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
Inspection record, 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.