Hygiene training

Welcome to the hygiene training. The next five minutes aren't about rules and red tape. They're about the basics that actually matter, day in and day out. The difference between a guest who can't wait to come back and a phone call the next morning saying, someone got sick off our food. Hygiene isn't some box we tick on top of the real work. It is the work. And it starts with every one of us, long before the first plate ever hits the pass. The single most important rule is also the easiest one. Wash your hands. You wash them when you clock in. After every trip to the bathroom, after touching raw meat, fish or eggs, after taking out the trash, blowing your nose, having a smoke, or grabbing your phone. And any time you move from one job to a completely different one, doing it right means warm water, soap, a solid 30 seconds, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, your thumbs, under the nails, and your wrists.

Then, dry off with a paper towel, never the dishcloth. Wet hands spread more germs than dry ones do. And if you're working with a cut, cover it. Blue, waterproof plaster. So if it ever comes off in the food, you'll spot it right away. Same idea goes for your body and your clothes. Fresh work gear every single. day, not yesterday's, and definitely not, uh, it's barely dirty. Long hair tied back, under a cap or net, beard trimmed or covered. No watches, no rings, no bracelets, no fake nails, no polish. Jewelries a germ trap, and it can end up in someone's dinner. Heavy perfume or a sweaty shift will creep into the taste of the food, too, especially in a hot, closed -in -in -killed -in -kindle.

kitchen. And in the kitchen, no eating, no drinking from open cups, no smoking, a water bottle with a lid is fine. Just keep it away from your prep area. Next big one, handling food. The golden rule never break the cold chain. Anything that should be cold stays under 45 degrees. Fish and ground meat under 40 degrees. Frozen stuff thaws in a fridge, not on the counter and not in warm water. Hot food on the line stays above 150 degrees. Everything in between is the danger zone, where bacteria double in about two hours. Keep raw and cooked completely separate. Own boards, own knives, own containers. Raw chicken and a dressed salad have no business sharing a board. And no, a quick wipe doesn't fix that. In the fridge, raw goes on the bottom, cooked up top, so nothing drivet down.

Everything gets dated the moment it's opened. Anything past its date is gone. No debate. It still smells fine. Doesn't cut it. Plenty of the dangerous stuff has no smell at all. Surfaces and equipment need love too. Wipe down after every job. And at the end of the shift, clean and sanitize properly. That's boards, knives, fridge handles, door handles, taps, the phone. Anything a lot of touch. Never mix cleaning products and never pour them into old food bottles, ever. Cloths are color -coded, one color per area. Don't swap them around. Empty the bin regularly. Don't shove it down with your hand, and the second you've touched trash, head straight to the sink. Here's one people always underestimate. Being sick. If you've got diarrhea, vomiting, a fever, or an open weeping sore, you don't come into the kitchen.

You call the shift lead before you show up, not after you've been on the pass for an hour. That's not being weak. That's having someone's back. One sick person can take down a whole service and shut us down for days. Same goes if someone at home has a stomach bug. Give us a heads up and we'll sort it out. And the big one to finish on, hygiene is a team sport. If you spot something off, a board being misused, a fridge running warm, someone without a hairnet. Just say something, friendly. It's not about ratting anyone out. It's about covering each other. We're all working on the same plate. Everyone does their bit, and this place stays clean, safe, and somewhere guests actually want to come back to. Thanks for being part of it.