For small caterers
Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB): Help With Your Pack
This guide walks you through keeping your SFBB pack genuinely up to date, not just filed away. Discover the mistakes EHOs flag most often, and how to know when your business has outgrown the generic pack.
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What SFBB is and who it's for
Safer Food, Better Business is the Food Standards Agency's free food safety management pack, designed for small catering businesses, cafes, takeaways and small restaurants. It is built around a daily diary and safe-methods sheets that document how you handle food safely.
Under Regulation (EC) 852/2004, every food business must put in place a documented food safety management system, commensurate with the size and nature of the business. The FSA states plainly that it is an offence not to have food safety procedures in place. SFBB is the FSA's ready-made system for meeting that duty if you are a small caterer. You do not have to use SFBB specifically, but you do need an equivalent system.
The pack shows Environmental Health Officers that you have thought through the risks in your kitchen, documented how you control them, and keep records to prove it.
Mistakes EHOs flag most
Environmental Health Officers find the same gaps repeatedly in SFBB packs. These are the six most common.
- The daily diary is filled in just before a visit, not each day
- Safe-methods sheets do not match what is actually on the menu
- The pack is out of date and does not reflect a menu change
- Corrective actions are not written down when something goes wrong
- Nobody is clearly responsible for checking it is kept up
- Allergen information in the pack is incomplete
Most of these boil down to one issue: the pack is treated as a box to tick for inspection, not as a living record. An officer judges confidence in management largely on the paperwork. If the diary looks like it was rushed at the last minute, or the safe-methods sheets do not match the menu in front of them, the rating falls immediately, no matter how clean your kitchen is.
When SFBB stops being enough
SFBB is built for straightforward small catering operations. If your business has outgrown that description, a site-specific HACCP plan usually serves you better than the generic SFBB pack.
Your business may have moved on if you have:
- New suppliers or changed food sources
- High-risk processes such as sushi, cook-chill or sous-vide
- Multiple sites or significant menu expansion
- Large or complex operations
A bespoke HACCP plan is tailored to your kitchen, your menu and your team. It gives you stronger protection against Food Hygiene Rating downgrades, and holds up better if things go wrong. Learn more about custom HACCP plans.
SFBB FAQs
What is Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB)?+
SFBB is the Food Standards Agency's free food safety management pack for small catering businesses, cafes, takeaways and small restaurants. It is built around a daily diary and safe-methods sheets, and is the FSA's ready-made way for a small caterer to meet the legal duty to have a documented food safety management system.
Is SFBB a legal requirement?+
Every food business must put in place a documented food safety management system, commensurate with the size and nature of the business, under Regulation (EC) 852/2004. The FSA states plainly that it is an offence not to have food safety procedures in place. SFBB is the FSA's ready-made system for meeting that duty if you are a small caterer; you do not have to use SFBB specifically, but you do need an equivalent system.
How often do I need to fill in the SFBB diary?+
Fill it in each day. Keep completed pages until your next visit from a local authority food safety officer.
Can I use SFBB instead of a HACCP plan?+
SFBB is HACCP-based and built for straightforward small catering operations. If your business has grown more complex, new suppliers, high-risk processes such as sushi or cook-chill, or multiple sites, a site-specific HACCP plan usually serves you better than the generic SFBB pack.
Where do I get an SFBB pack?+
It is free from the Food Standards Agency website. If you would rather keep records digitally, our free Business Portal stores the same information online.
Take the next step
Strengthen your food safety system
Whether your business has outgrown SFBB or you need expert support keeping your pack up to date, training and tailored systems are here to help.