Fridge Temperature Log Sheet: Free UK Template

Fridge and freezer temperature log (free UK template)

A fridge temperature log is the simplest proof that your chilled food is being kept cold enough. It is one of the first records to have ready for a food hygiene inspection.

Download the free printable sheet below, or use the digital version in LogBooks Hub, which timestamps each reading and reminds staff when a check is due.

How often: At least once a day, starting with your opening checks. A second check later in the day, for example at close, gives you earlier warning that a unit is struggling.

Printable A4, no sign-up or email needed.

What to record

Date and time of the check

Which unit you checked (name or number every fridge, freezer and chilled display)

The temperature reading in °C

How you took it: unit display, fridge thermometer or probe between packs

Whether the reading was within your target

What you did if it was not, and the result of a recheck

Initials of the person who checked

A filled-in example

Sample entries only, to show the level of detail an inspector expects.

Example Fridge and freezer temperature log entries
Date	Time	Unit	Temp (°C)	Action taken	Initials
Mon 05/10	08:15	Walk-in fridge	3.4	None needed	JS
Mon 05/10	08:17	Freezer 1	-19.5	None needed	JS
Mon 05/10	15:30	Under-counter fridge	9.1	Door left open. Closed it, food probed 7.2°C. Recheck 16:00: 4.8°C	AK
Tue 06/10	08:10	Walk-in fridge	3.8	None needed	JS
Tue 06/10	08:12	Freezer 1	-18.6	None needed	JS

Why this log matters

There is no law that says "you must keep a fridge log". But food law does require you to run a food safety management system based on HACCP principles and to keep records that fit the size of your business (Regulation 852/2004, Article 5). In practice, a daily temperature record is how most small businesses show that chilling is under control, and the Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) pack builds the check into your opening routine.

Target temperatures

Equipment	Target	Where this comes from
Fridge or chilled display	Set at 5°C or below	FSA recommendation, so food stays at 8°C or below
Chilled food itself	8°C or below	Legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland; recommended in Scotland
Freezer	-18°C or below	SFBB Prove it safe method

Some foods need colder storage than 8°C. Always follow the storage instructions on the label.

How to take a reliable reading

A display or dial is fine for daily checks, but SFBB advises checking regularly that it is accurate, using a fridge thermometer or a clean, disinfected probe placed between packs of chilled food. Check your probe is accurate too: in iced water it should read between -1°C and 1°C, and in boiling water between 99°C and 101°C.

What to do if a reading is too high

Check the door is shut, the seal is clean and the unit is not overloaded. Recheck in 30 minutes.
Probe the food between packs. If food is still at 8°C or below, move it to another fridge while you sort the problem.
If the fridge has broken down, move food to other equipment or a cold area. If you cannot, or do not know how long it has been broken, contact your council's environmental health team for advice.
Throw away food that needs refrigeration and has been out of chilled storage for more than four hours.
For a freezer: move food that is still hard and icy to another freezer straight away. Defrosting or defrosted food must be handled using the SFBB defrosting method, cooked, or thrown away.
Write down what went wrong and what you did. If the same unit fails again, get it serviced or replaced.

The digital version asks for a corrective action whenever a reading is out of range, so the log always shows what you did about it.

Common mistakes

Filling in a whole week of readings at once, often with the same number every day

Recording a high reading with no corrective action or recheck written next to it

Trusting the door display for months without checking it against a probe

Using a probe that has never been checked in iced and boiling water

Not naming units, so nobody can tell which fridge the reading came from

The easier way: keep it on your phone

In LogBooks Hub this log reminds staff when it is due, stamps each entry with who and when, can hold a photo as evidence, and goes into your audit pack PDF in one click. It is one of 90+ ready-made logbooks, from £30 a month. Works on any device in the browser, or grab the iPhone or Android app.

Frequently asked questions

What temperature should a fridge be in the UK?

Chilled food must be kept at 8°C or below. That is a legal requirement in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and recommended practice in Scotland. The Food Standards Agency advises setting your fridge to 5°C or below, so food stays cold enough even when the door is opened often or the kitchen gets hot. Some products need colder storage, so check labels.

What temperature should a commercial freezer be?

The Safer Food, Better Business pack says frozen food should be kept at -18°C or below. You can check this with the freezer's display, a dial thermometer or a probe. If frozen food has started to soften, follow the SFBB defrosting method rather than refreezing it, and never refreeze food such as ice cream that has begun to thaw.

How often should I check fridge temperatures?

SFBB says to check fridges and chilled display equipment at least once a day, starting with your opening checks. A second check later in the day catches a failing unit sooner. Whatever you choose, write it into your procedures and stick to it, because an inspector will compare your log with what you say you do.

Is a fridge temperature log a legal requirement?

Not in those words. The law requires a food safety management system based on HACCP principles, with records that suit the size of your business. You must be able to show that chilled food is kept at a safe temperature. A daily fridge log is the usual, and easiest, way to show that. Without one, you are relying on your word.

How long should I keep fridge temperature records?

The law says records should be kept for a suitable period and does not set a number of months. Keep enough history to show an inspector that your checks happen every day, not just in the week before a visit. If you are unsure what your local authority expects, ask your environmental health team. Digital records are easy to keep for years.