Food Safety Records in Guernsey: Laws, Inspections and Star Ratings

Guernsey food safety records explained: the law, Environmental Health inspections, the 0 to 5 star rating, records inspectors ask for and digital records.

2026-10-31 · Chef Hygiene

Do food businesses in Guernsey need food safety records? Yes. Guernsey is not part of the UK and has its own food law. A food safety system based on HACCP is required, and registered food businesses must keep the records that the designated food hygiene rules require and show them on request. The Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation inspects food premises, and the result is a Food Hygiene Information Scheme rating of 0 to 5 stars, published online. This page explains the Guernsey rules, what inspectors look for, where businesses go wrong, and how digital records help.

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This page covers the Bailiwick of Guernsey. Jersey and the UK have their own rules and their own pages. Every fact below comes from an official source, linked in the text and at the end. Where we could not confirm something on an official page, we say so. The app works in English in Guernsey, and in 40 languages for your staff.

The law: what every Guernsey food business must do
Who inspects you, and how often
The star rating and published results
The records inspectors ask for
Where businesses go wrong
By type of business
Why digital records help in Guernsey
How Chef Hygiene helps
A fair price, on purpose
Less paper
FAQ
Official sources

1. The law: what every Guernsey food business must do

The base law. The Food and Drugs (Guernsey) Law, 1970 is the base food law of the Bailiwick. Orders and Ordinances made under it set the detailed rules (Guernsey Legal Resources).
HACCP. The Food Hygiene Order of 1976, as amended in 2007, requires a food safety system based on HACCP. HACCP means you find the points where food could become unsafe and control them.
Registration. All food businesses must be registered. The States' 2016 Ordinance says all food businesses and feed businesses must be registered by the Committee for Health & Social Care, which keeps public registers. The Registration of Food Premises Order 1995 also requires you to register your food premises with Environmental Health (gov.gg: European Communities (Food and Feed Controls) Ordinance, 2016).
EU food rules applied in Guernsey. The same 2016 Ordinance gives effect to a list of EU food rules ("designated Community provisions"). It covers food safety, hygiene, traceability, withdrawals and recalls. The explanatory note says the rules include temperature control requirements for food handling.
Powers of officers. The Ordinance lets authorised officers enter and inspect premises. The Committee can give a compliance notice, seize or detain unsafe goods, and prohibit premises from being used. The Magistrate's Court can make an emergency prohibition order. You can appeal some decisions to the Royal Court.
Temperatures. We could not confirm fixed temperature numbers on an official Guernsey page. Ask Environmental Health which numbers apply to your business.
Staff training. We could not confirm a rule that staff need a food hygiene certificate or a renewal period. Ask Environmental Health what applies to your staff.
Allergens. We could not confirm an allergen law in Guernsey. The gov.gg food business page does not mention allergens. Ask Environmental Health what applies to you.
Fines. We do not give fine amounts. The Ordinance says penalties are set in its Schedule 9, and we have not read that schedule on an official page.

2. Who inspects you, and how often

Who. The Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation of the States of Guernsey inspects food premises. Its officers are the Environmental Health Officers (EHOs).
Unannounced visits. According to the Food Hygiene Information Scheme page, the star rating follows an unannounced visit.
How often. We could not confirm an official fixed visit schedule, so we do not give one. The scheme page says businesses that do not reach at least 3 stars are targeted for improvement and get extra visits.
What is looked at. The scheme page says the score covers three things:
how hygienically the food is handled, including cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage
the condition of the building: cleanliness, repair, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities
how food safety is managed and documented, using systems such as "Safer Food Better Business" or equivalent methods
Other things counted. The premises history and the officers' confidence that management will improve and keep up standards are also taken into account.
What happens after a visit. There is no pass or fail. Officers take proportionate action. Most businesses only need written advice. If a business does not improve after warnings, enforcement notices may be served, and legal action may follow if they are ignored. In a few cases a business has to close until improvements are made (gov.gg: Food Hygiene Information Scheme).

3. The star rating and published results

Guernsey runs the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, also called "Scores on the doors". It is a 0 to 5 star rating for food businesses.

Who is rated. Restaurants, takeaways, cafes, sandwich shops, pubs, hotels, supermarkets and other food outlets, and any other business where people can eat or buy food.
The stars.
0 stars: urgent improvement is necessary.
1 star: major improvement is necessary.
2 stars: improvement is needed.
3 stars: generally satisfactory.
4 stars: good.
5 stars: very good. This means full compliance with Guernsey food law.
Stickers. Businesses get a star sticker. Low-risk businesses, such as those that do not prepare high-risk foods like sandwiches, and some home-based caterers, get an "exempt" sticker. Businesses not yet inspected get an "awaiting rating" sticker.
Published online. Current ratings are published on the States of Guernsey website.
Display of the sticker. According to a 2014 notice, displaying the sticker is not mandatory. We could not confirm whether this has changed since, so ask Environmental Health. The notice also says that when a sticker is not displayed, the public may draw their own conclusions.
What this means for you. Your rating is public. Records that show your system works every day support the "how food safety is managed and documented" part of the score.

4. The records inspectors ask for

The law asks for the records that the designated food hygiene rules require, and registered businesses must produce them for inspection. It does not give a list of forms. The scheme page names "how food safety is managed and documented" as part of the score, so these are the records an officer is likely to want to see:

Your HACCP-based food safety system, written down, with the checks you do.
Temperature checks for fridges, freezers, cooking, cooling and hot holding.
Cleaning records.
Deliveries and supplier details for traceability.
Staff training records.
What you did when something went wrong, for example a fridge reading that was too warm.
Pest control reports, if you use a contractor.

This list is our reading of the system, not an official Guernsey form list.

How long to keep them. We could not confirm a fixed period in Guernsey law. The 2016 Ordinance does not state a number of years, and the EU rules it applies refer to records kept for an appropriate period. Ask Environmental Health if you want certainty.

Are digital records accepted? We could not find an official Guernsey page that says so directly. The law asks for records and does not name a format, so ask your EHO if you are unsure.

5. Where businesses go wrong

Common record problems are easy to picture:

Gaps. Days with no checks written down.
A plan that does not match the kitchen. A system on paper that staff do not follow.
No action recorded. A reading that was too warm, with nothing written about what was done.
Lost or damaged pages. Paper gets wet, greasy or thrown away.
No review. The plan has not been looked at since it was written.
Training not shown. Staff were trained, but nothing proves it.
Not registered. All food businesses must be registered.
Slipping between visits. The scheme page says standards may improve or slip between inspections, and a rating shows the most recent visit.

6. By type of business

The rules are the same for every food business, but the records you keep depend on what you do. All of these businesses must be registered.

Restaurant: daily checks, cooking, cooling and hot-holding temperatures, deliveries, cleaning, and training records.
Takeaway: the same as a restaurant. Takeaways are named in the rating scheme.
Café: fridges and displays, cleaning, and sandwich and salad preparation. Cafes and sandwich shops are rated under the scheme.
Bakery: oven and cooling records, display temperatures for cream cakes, and cleaning.
Dessert shop: fridge and freezer temperatures for desserts and ice cream, and cleaning of machines and utensils.
Pub / bar / club: pubs are rated under the scheme. Keep the same records as a restaurant for the food you serve.
Community hall / venue: register if you serve food as a business. Keep temperature and cleaning records for each event.
Corner shop / grocery: retail food outlets are rated under the scheme. Keep fridge and freezer checks and delivery checks.
School / nursery kitchen: temperature and cleaning records, and careful records for every child's dietary needs.
Caterer / food van: register your business. Keep temperatures during transport and at the event, and keep your records with you.
Home kitchen business: register with Environmental Health like any other food business. The scheme page says some low-risk and home-based caterers get the "exempt" sticker, but they are still inspected and must comply with food law.

7. Why digital records help in Guernsey

Records are part of the score. How food safety is managed and documented is one of the three things the scheme page says is scored.
No gaps go unnoticed. A missed check shows up the same day, not at the next inspection.
Problems come with their fix. When a reading is out of range, the record can ask what you did about it.
Nothing is lost. No wet, greasy or missing pages.
Ready for the officer. You can show everything at once, instead of looking for folders.
Every staff member can take part. Staff can record checks on a phone or tablet, in their own language.
Format. We could not confirm an official statement about digital records, so ask your EHO if you are unsure.

8. How Chef Hygiene helps

Chef Hygiene follows the Guernsey rules we could confirm. Where a number is not in an official Guernsey source, the app says so. What it does:

Daily checks for fridges, freezers, cooking, hot holding, cooling, cleaning and deliveries, with the time, the staff member's name and photos. Saved records cannot be changed; corrections are added as new records.
Your country's rules built in, with a plain note where a figure is only good practice.
Food safety plan ("safe methods"). About 20 minutes: answer questions, check each method, sign it, set a review date and print it. Earlier versions are kept.
Ready for inspection? Checks your last 4 weeks of records the way an inspector would and shows how many are ready.
Inspector's visits log. Write down each visit: date, type and officer.
Practice inspection. A free walk round of about 10 minutes, with questions for your type of business, a likely result in the Guernsey star scheme and a "Put it right" list.
Allergen chart and labels. Every dish against the 14 allergens, a staff view on the kitchen tablet, and labels for food prepacked for direct sale, with allergens in bold.
Staff training records.
Inspector pack. Print all your records as one pack, or share them by secure link.
40 languages. Staff can use the app in their own language.

9. A fair price, on purpose

Chef Hygiene costs £2.99 a month per site (£1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops); unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

We keep the price low on purpose. We want as many food businesses as possible, from a single food van to a busy restaurant, to keep good records and pass their inspections.

10. Less paper

A paper diary means printed sheets every day. One daily sheet per kitchen is 365 sheets a year, before you count delivery forms, cleaning rotas and training records. Digital records mean no record books to buy and fewer printed forms to throw away. That is less paper and less waste, and nothing to store in a back office.

11. FAQ

Do I legally need food safety records in Guernsey?

Yes, in practice. A food safety system based on HACCP is required, and registered businesses must keep the records that the designated food hygiene rules require and produce them for inspection.

Is Guernsey covered by UK food law?

No. Guernsey has its own law: the Food and Drugs (Guernsey) Law, 1970 and the Orders and Ordinances made under it.

Who inspects food businesses in Guernsey?

The Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation of the States of Guernsey.

Do I have to register my food business?

Yes. All food businesses must be registered, and the Registration of Food Premises Order 1995 requires you to register premises with Environmental Health.

Does this include home kitchen businesses and food vans?

Yes. The rules apply to all food businesses. The scheme page says some low-risk and home-based caterers get an "exempt" sticker, but they are still inspected and must comply with food law.

Are inspections announced?

According to the Food Hygiene Information Scheme page, the star rating follows an unannounced visit.

Is there a hygiene rating in Guernsey?

Yes. The Food Hygiene Information Scheme gives 0 to 5 stars, and current ratings are published online.

What do the stars mean?

0 is urgent improvement, 1 is major improvement, 2 is improvement needed, 3 is generally satisfactory, 4 is good and 5 is very good, meaning full compliance with Guernsey food law.

Do I have to display my star sticker?

According to a 2014 notice, display is not mandatory. We could not confirm whether this has changed, so ask Environmental Health.

Can I fail an inspection?

The scheme page says there is no pass or fail. Officers take proportionate action, from written advice to enforcement notices, and in a few cases a business has to close until improvements are made.

What happens if I get fewer than 3 stars?

The scheme page says the business is targeted for improvement and receives extra visits by officers.

How long must I keep my records?

We could not confirm a fixed period in Guernsey law. The 2016 Ordinance does not state a number of years. Ask Environmental Health.

Are digital food safety records accepted?

We could not find an official Guernsey page that says so directly. The law asks for records and does not name a format, so ask your EHO if you are unsure.

What temperature must my fridge be?

We could not confirm fixed numbers on an official Guernsey page. Ask Environmental Health which numbers apply to you.

Do my staff need a food hygiene certificate?

We could not confirm that Guernsey law requires one. Ask Environmental Health what applies to your staff.

Do I have to give allergen information?

We could not confirm an allergen law in Guernsey, so ask Environmental Health. The app lets you keep an allergen chart for every dish.

What are the fines?

We do not give fine amounts. The 2016 Ordinance says penalties are set in its Schedule 9, and we have not read that schedule on an official page.

How much does Chef Hygiene cost in Guernsey?

£2.99 a month per site (£1.99 for bakeries, dessert shops and corner shops); unlimited staff, no contract, 14-day free trial.

12. Official sources

Chef Hygiene keeps your Guernsey food safety records ready for every inspection: