HACCP for Pop-up Restaurants: A Complete EU Compliance Guide

Introduction

Pop-up restaurants often fail to document venue risk assessments before the event, leading to severe food safety breaches. This oversight can result in high levels of allergens or pathogens like Salmonella or Staphylococcus aureus, especially in unfamiliar kitchens.

What You'll Learn

• How to manage unique hazards in a temporary kitchen environment.
• Key steps for safe food transport and handling in pop-up settings.
• Essential documentation and training requirements for staff.

What Auditors Check First

• Venue Risk Assessment:
  • Auditors will look for documented checks on fridge temperatures, oven calibration, and handwashing facilities.
• Allergen Management:
  • Ensure an allergen matrix is available and updated for the specific venue, detailing potential cross-contact risks.
• Temperature Control:
  • Verify that food transport logs exist and that hot food is maintained above 63°C or cold food below 5°C during transport.

Hazards Specific to Pop-up Restaurants

Biological Hazards

Key pathogens in pop-up restaurants include Clostridium perfringens, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, and Bacillus cereus.

On a busy Saturday when batch-cooked food is transported to a venue, you may face Clostridium perfringens growth if cooling gaps occur. Keep hot food above 63°C during transport and cool food to below 5°C within two hours.

For Staphylococcus aureus, extended plating in a new kitchen can lead to cross-contamination. Maintain strict hand hygiene, washing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds before handling food.

Using an unfamiliar oven can increase the risk of Salmonella from undercooked proteins. Always verify cooking temperatures with your probe thermometer, ensuring they reach a minimum of 75°C for chicken and other poultry.

For Bacillus cereus, holding grain or rice sides at ambient temperature during setup is risky. Keep these items hot above 63°C or cold below 5°C.

Chemical Hazards

Allergen cross-contact is a major concern in shared venue kitchens.

On a busy Friday evening when your team is setting up quickly, residues from previous users can contaminate your dishes. Clean all surfaces and equipment with a food-safe sanitizer at the recommended concentration of 100-200 ppm before use.

Ensure you have an allergen matrix completed for the pop-up menu, updated for venue-specific risks. Failure to do so may lead to serious allergen reactions.

Physical Hazards

Physical hazards can include foreign objects such as broken glass or metal fragments from equipment.

On a hectic Saturday night, if the venue kitchen has not been properly inspected, a piece of broken equipment could contaminate food. Conduct a thorough venue kitchen audit to identify and remove any hazards before cooking begins.

Train staff to be vigilant and report any physical hazards immediately to prevent contamination. Regular checks during service are necessary.

Seasonal Considerations

In summer, outdoor pop-ups face heat challenges. Cold food display times must be reduced to no more than 2 hours when temperatures exceed 30°C.

During the festive season, high demand can lead to rushed setups. Always conduct a venue risk assessment, as skipping checks can result in using uncalibrated equipment, risking food safety.

Critical Control Points

• Venue Kitchen Audit

  Measure fridge temperatures: must be <5°C. Verify oven calibration: ensure it matches displayed temperature.

  Monitor using a calibrated thermometer upon arrival and document findings on the venue audit checklist.

  If limits are breached, do not accept the venue. Look for an alternative location or ensure corrective actions are taken (e.g., adjusting fridge settings).

• Equipment Calibration

  Measure cooking temperatures: target minimum of 75°C for proteins. Check oven temperatures with your probe thermometer.

  Monitor every first batch of food prepared, especially proteins, and document results.

  If cooking temperatures are below 75°C, adjust cooking times or temperatures until the correct level is achieved.

• Allergen Cross-Contact Prevention

  Check all surfaces and equipment for residues. Use a food-safe cleaner with a concentration according to manufacturer's instructions.

  Monitor before starting food prep. Conduct a visual inspection and wipe down surfaces.

  If residues are found, re-clean the area and equipment until verified clean before starting food prep.

• Food Transport

  Measure food temperature: hot food must be >63°C; cold food must be <5°C during transport.

  Monitor using a probe thermometer at the start and end of transport. Keep a log of temperatures.

  If temperatures breach limits, discard food that is not within safe temperature range and document the incident.

Common Mistakes

• Mistake:
  • No venue risk assessment documented before the pop-up event. → Fix: Conduct a thorough venue audit and document all findings before accepting the venue.
• Mistake:
  • Using venue equipment without calibration check. → Fix: Always bring your own probe thermometer and verify cooking temperatures on the first batch.
• Mistake:
  • Food transported at ambient without time or temperature monitoring. → Fix: Use temperature-controlled containers and log temperature checks throughout the transport process.

Managing suppliers and conducting thorough receiving checks are vital for maintaining food safety in pop-up restaurants. Each delivery poses potential risks that must be mitigated before food preparation begins. Follow these guidelines to ensure your ingredients and equipment meet safety standards.

Delivery Acceptance Checklist

• Verify that all ingredients are sourced from approved suppliers.
• Check that temperature-controlled containers maintain food at <5°C for cold items or >63°C for hot items.
• Inspect hired equipment to confirm it holds temperature before service.
• Ensure that disposables are food-grade and there is adequate stock for full service.
• Document any discrepancies in temperature or condition upon receipt.

When to Reject a Delivery

• If any refrigerated items are above <5°C upon arrival.
• When hot food is below >63°C during transport.
• If packaging is damaged, leaking, or showing signs of contamination.
• When hired equipment fails to maintain the required temperature during testing.

Daily Monitoring Checklist

• Temperature check of fridge:
  • below 5°C
• Oven calibration check:
  • ensure it reaches and maintains at least 75°C for cooking proteins
• Verify handwash facilities are stocked with soap and paper towels
• Inspect cleaning state of kitchen surfaces and equipment
• Check transport conditions:
  • hot food >63°C or cold food <5°C
• Document any food held at ambient temperature for no more than 2 hours

What Records Auditors Expect

• Venue kitchen audit report:
  • document fridge temps, oven calibration, and cleaning state
• Allergen matrix specific to the pop-up menu, updated for venue cross-contact risks
• Food transport temperature log:
  • record times and temperatures of all transported food
• Staff training records:
  • proof of venue-specific briefings for all employees
• Supplier checks documentation:
  • details of pre-visit assessments for venue facilities and equipment

Staff Training Requirements

All pop-up staff must undergo a venue-specific briefing covering:

• Location of handwashing facilities
• Fire exit routes and emergency procedures
• Allergen specials for the menu, ensuring clear communication with diners

The head chef is responsible for conducting the venue kitchen audit and signing off before cooking begins.

Front-of-house staff must have written allergen information readily available for every dish served.

To operate a compliant pop-up restaurant, you must adhere to key regulations such as EC 852/2004 Annex II Ch. III, which outlines requirements for temporary premises, and Regulation 1169/2011 Art. 44, mandating allergen information for non-prepacked food. Additionally, temperature control during transport and service must comply with EC 852/2004 Annex II Ch.

IX(5). Conducting thorough venue audits and maintaining proper food safety practices is not optional; it's a requirement.

Quick-Start Action Plan

1. Conduct a venue audit:
   • Check fridge temperatures, oven calibration, and handwash facilities.
2. Prepare an allergen matrix specific to your pop-up menu and venue.
3. Bring your own probe thermometer to verify cooking temperatures.
4. Train all staff on venue-specific procedures, including allergen communication.
5. Document transport conditions for food, ensuring hot food stays above 63°C and cold food below 5°C.

Generate your free Pop-up Restaurants HACCP plan at ilovehaccp.com/builder - it takes under 10 minutes and covers all the points in this guide.

For practical implementation, review allergen-management-within-haccp-plans and why-ai-generated-haccp-plans-must-be-professionally-reviewed before finalizing your HACCP records.