What a council inspector checks at your restaurant
A typical walk-through, the records you’ll be asked for, and what happens after.
In Victoria, your council’s environmental health officer inspects restaurants and cafes, often without notice. They look at how food is stored, cooked, held and cooled, whether the kitchen is clean and hand basins are usable, and how you manage allergens. They’ll ask for your food safety supervisor’s certificate, evidence of food handler training, and evidence that temperatures and cleaning are under control, which for most kitchens means records.
A typical walk-through
Cold and hot storage
- Fridges and coolrooms at 5°C or colder
- Hot holding at 60°C or hotter
- Raw and ready-to-eat food kept apart
- Food covered, labelled and dated
Cooking, cooling, reheating
- Cooked food cooled from 60°C to 21°C in 2 hours, then to 5°C in 4
- Reheated food brought to 60°C or hotter quickly
- Probe thermometer on hand and working
Cleaning and hygiene
- Food contact surfaces cleaned and sanitised
- Hand basins with soap, warm water and paper towel
- No signs of pests
- Staff hygiene and clothing
Allergens
- Staff can say what’s in each dish
- Allergen information matches the menu
- Separate handling for allergen-free orders
People
- Food safety supervisor certified and reasonably available
- Food handlers trained
- Sick staff kept away from food
Paperwork
- Registration current
- Temperature and cleaning records
- Supplier details
- Food safety program, if you have one
A typical inspection, not an official checklist. Officers decide what to look at on the day.
The records they ask for
Under Standard 3.2.2A, class 2 businesses without a food safety program must show the officer their temperature, processing and cleaning controls. Victoria accepts records, invoices, photos, written procedures or a demonstration. In practice, records are the strongest evidence, because they show what happened on days the officer wasn’t there.
- Fridge, coolroom and hot-holding temperatures
- Delivery temperatures
- Cooling and reheating times and temperatures
- Cleaning and sanitising sign-offs
- Supervisor certificate and food handler training
If you use a department-registered food safety program template, your council also does an annual assessment to check you’re using it correctly.
What happens after
All good
The officer notes the visit. Keep doing what you’re doing.
Things to fix
You’re told what to fix and by when, and the officer may come back to check. Record each fix with the date.
Serious problems
Notices, fines, and in the worst cases closure or prosecution. Victoria publishes a register of convictions under the Food Act.
Be ready on any day
- Keep records where you can find them. A log you can’t find on the day counts for little.
- Walk your own kitchen once a week with the list above, as if you were the officer.
- Make sure every shift knows the drill: who the supervisor is, where the probe is, where the records are.
- Fix and record. An out-of-range reading with a written fix shows the system works.
Show the officer a full record in a minute
EthicalHub keeps temperature, cooling, cleaning, delivery and training records in one place, logged on a phone during service. When the officer asks, you open the app and show them, or export a compliance record on the spot.
See it before your next inspection
A free 20-minute walkthrough. Plans from $69 a month per site.
Council inspections: common questions
Who inspects restaurants in Victoria?
How often will my restaurant be inspected?
What records will the officer ask for?
What happens if the officer finds a problem?
Ready before the knock.
Every check recorded, every record easy to find.