Keep it clean: The importance of maintaining good hygiene in hospitality

Many hospitality businesses have had to adjust their working practices to survive the challenging economic landscape, but one area that can’t be compromised is food safety. The Staff Canteen takes a look at why – aside from keeping the right side of the law - maintaining good hygiene is so important and how kitchen teams are managing to keep it clean. 

Hospitality continues to operate within a challenging landscape with rising costs and staff shortages stretching businesses to the limit.

When teams are under-resourced it would be understandable to remove some of the jobs and systems that take extra time and effort. However, even when you’re operating on a shoestring, there’s one area that absolutely cannot be compromised: Hygiene.

Maintaining a clean, ordered workspace is not simply about compliance, or impressing your customers, it’s about much more, says Béatrice Meyn, head of category cutlery at Victorinox.

“Cleanliness is not optional; it’s a fundamental pillar of professionalism and guest safety,” she says. “In times of economic pressure, maintaining hygiene standards helps protect a business’s reputation and reduces the risk of costly incidents.”

As the owner of an independent business, Simon Hulstone, chef patron at The Elephant in Torquay, agrees. He is aware that failure to uphold high standards of food safety in his restaurant could have dire consequences.

“Any mistake could not only be fatal for a customer but also fatal for our business. Social media and bad press would almost certainly close us down with a negative issue of food hygiene.”

Maintaining hygiene is also a ‘non-negotiable’ for Adam Degg, head chef and host at FIFTY TWO by Rudding Park in Harrogate. The restaurant, which opened in April 2024, has an open kitchen, so diners can see for themselves if the brigade makes a mess.

However, this isn’t the only reason for upholding high standards in cleanliness and food safety. And yes, Adam has experienced staff shortages like everyone else.

“It’s been a challenge to maintain our high standards with low staffing levels recently but we’re proud of our kitchen and cleanliness is always a priority,” he says. “For us, it’s not just about meeting regulations, but about demonstrating care for every guest who chooses to dine with us. High standards of hygiene are also crucial for staff wellbeing, creating a safe working environment and a culture of professionalism.”

Adam’s failure to compromise has paid off: The restaurant scored 98% on its last inspection (a damaged chopping board – now replaced – stopped it receiving 100%).

So, how did he do it? What procedures are in place to maintain hygiene at his restaurant?

“We operate with clear daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning schedules that cover all areas of the kitchen and service. Regular internal audits and external checks help us stay accountable,” he explains.

Avoiding cross-contamination

Specifically, Adam’s team cleans both mid- and end-shift and they are given regular refresher training in food safety to stay on top of things. The kitchen also uses colour-coded equipment to reduce cross-contamination, vital to protect diners and the business.

Reducing cross-contamination is exactly what Victorinox’s new Fibrox knives have been designed to do. The handles are available in six HACCP-compliant colours – red for meat, blue for fish, green for vegetables and so on, which Béatrice says makes it easier for chefs to maintain good hygiene standards and prevent cross contamination.

“Strict hygiene protocols and the right equipment create structure, safety and efficiency in professional kitchens and Victorinox Fibrox knives are designed to support professionals in high-pressure kitchen environments,” she says.

Béatrice says the knives ‘combine long-lasting sharpness with lightweight ergonomic handles from non-slip thermoplastic elastomers, ideal for chefs who work long hours.’

“The HACCP-compliant colour coding helps reduce cross-contamination and supports clear organisation, especially in fast-paced or multi-shift kitchens. These features make Fibrox knives a reliable partner when hygiene, efficiency and comfort are non-negotiable,” she adds.

As Béatrice says, large, busy, multi-shift kitchens may benefit from colour-coded equipment for better organisation and to reduce cross-contamination, but this approach can also aid smaller kitchens.

“We have a very small kitchen so you’d think that keeping on top of food hygiene would be easy but being small we have more chance to cross contaminate so we are very conscious of storing, labelling and covering correctly,” explains Simon of The Elephant.

Aiding allergen management

Using products and systems with clear colour-coding, as well as reminding teams of food safety through refresher training, also aids good allergen management. With the number of people with known allergies rising, it’s an essential area to consider.

“For chefs, maintaining spotless prep areas and intensive cleaning practices isn’t only about compliance, it is about protecting every guest, especially those with food allergies,” says Frankie Douglas, head of Regulatory Affairs at Nutritics.

Making it clear to customers that your business takes food safety seriously is essential if you want to ensure they return, says Frankie, noting that 88% of people with food allergies would leave a restaurant if they lacked confidence in safety information [Source: Anaphylaxis UK].

Like most, Remi Williams, chef and owner of Smoke & Salt in Tooting, takes allergen management seriously, creating a new allergen matrix for his team when the menus change every quarter.  

“This is constantly reviewed as well, so if there is a dish that is a particular challenge, we create an alternative that will satisfy guests who have allergen and dietary restrictions. At the end of the day the guests have to be the priority here.”

Consistent approach

The number one rule to maintaining good hygiene and food safety is consistency, say chefs and food safety experts.

“Staying clean and organised is a constant,” says chef and restaurateur George Uren, co-creator of Pit Kitchen near Chipping Norton.

“They say nearly 30% of a chef’s working life is cleaning, and while we’ve never crunched the numbers, it feels about right. Cleaning at all times is critical, and the close-down at the end of a shift is especially important.”

George recognises that it can be tough to stay motivated after a long shift, but he sees cleaning as ‘setting the stage’ for the next day: “like making your bed in the morning, you arrive back to a pristine space that makes everything easier.”

Beth Winters, technical manager at The Food Works SW, agrees, suggesting teams clean as they go throughout service so it’s not such a mammoth task at the end. “Don’t leave end of shift cleans to do all the heavy lifting”.

She adds: “As a food safety consultant working closely with both small and large food businesses, I see the same golden rule hold true across all kitchens: hygiene and allergen management are only as strong as the team’s habits.”

Adam at FIFTY TWO and George at Pit Kitchen agree that hygiene and allergen awareness should be built into a kitchen’s culture with every team member taking responsibility for upholding standards. 

“It should be second nature for every member of staff,” says Adam.

“The key is to keep systems simple, reliable, and embedded into the everyday culture of the kitchen,” suggests George. “Hygiene and allergen safety work best when the whole team respects the environment they’re working in. Kitchens that promote careful, considered, and passionate work will naturally produce great food, and maintain a safe, clean, organised space for everyone.”

Meanwhile, SIDEWAYS is the only video-based learning platform for hospitality, who are offering hugely discounted food safety training.

The platform is built for any sized operator, with courses designed by real experts in the industry and endorsed by leading bodies.

Food Safety Level 3 by SIDEWAYS  takes just seven hours to complete and is completely video-based, meaning it can be done anywhere. Click here for more information.

(Written by Emma Eversham)