Generate a printable kitchen opening checklist — temperature checks, hygiene, equipment and prep — for your food business. Free PDF, FSANZ-aligned.
An opening checklist should confirm fridge and freezer temperatures are within range, hand-washing and hygiene are ready, equipment is clean and working, use-by dates are checked, and prep can begin safely. It sets the kitchen up in a compliant state before service.
Check that cold storage is at or below 5C and freezers are holding food frozen. If a unit is above 5C, act before using the food inside, because it may have been in the temperature danger zone of 5C to 60C overnight.
It catches problems, like a fridge that failed overnight or equipment left dirty, before food is served, rather than after. It also creates a daily record showing council that safety checks are done consistently at the start of trade.
The staff member opening the kitchen, often a supervisor or the Food Safety Supervisor on shift, should complete and sign it. Assigning it to a named person each day keeps accountability clear.
An opening checklist confirms the kitchen is safe and ready to start, focusing on temperatures, hygiene and equipment. A closing checklist focuses on safely cooling and storing food, cleaning down, and final temperature checks at the end of service.
Yes. This tool provides a free printable PDF, and FoodSafety HQ can run opening checklists digitally so staff complete them on a phone or tablet, with temperatures and sign-offs stored automatically for inspections.