Quick answer
UK convenience stores should keep daily chiller temperatures, use-by date checks, delivery checks, a refusals register and age-check training records, plus cleaning and fire safety records. If you sell hot food or pack food on site, cooking, hot-holding and allergen labelling records apply too.
Date checks: use-by versus best before
The two dates mean different things, and only one is about safety.
| Date mark | What it means | What to do on the shop floor |
|---|---|---|
| Use-by | A safety date. After it, food is considered unsafe to eat. | Remove from sale by close of business on the date. Log it. |
| Best before | A quality date. Food is usually still safe after it. | Check condition. Many shops reduce or remove it; decide a policy and stick to it. |
Do a date check every morning, starting with the chillers. Record what you removed and from which chiller. If the same lines keep going out of date, cut your order. The log pays for itself in waste.
Age-restricted sales: building a due diligence system
If an underage sale happens, what protects you is a system you can show, not a sign by the door. Trading Standards guidance describes the usual parts:
- A written policy. Most shops use Challenge 25 or Check 25: ask anyone who looks under 25 for ID.
- Training records. Each member of staff signs to say they were trained, with the date.
- A refusals register. Date, time, product, what happened and a description of the customer.
- Regular checks. A manager reviews the register and follows up with staff who never refuse.
If you sell alcohol, your premises licence in England and Wales must include an age verification policy (GOV.UK), so these records also matter to the licensing authority.
Chilled display: the weak spot
Open-fronted chillers near the door work hardest on warm days and during restocking. Check the display temperature, not just the setting, and log it at least twice a day. If a reading is over 8°C, write down what you did with the stock and when the engineer was called.
Packing food on site?
Sandwiches, salads or cakes you make and wrap in the shop before sale are prepacked for direct sale (PPDS). Since 1 October 2021 they need a label with the name, full ingredients list and the 14 allergens emphasised (FSA guidance).
LogBooks Hub works in the browser or on the iOS and Android apps, so staff can log a chiller reading or a refusal from the shop floor. Entries are timestamped, reminders flag missed checks, and you can export everything as a one-click audit pack PDF.
