What happens before an EHO turns up

EHO Story 📩

Ever wondered what an Environmental Health Officer is doing before they turn up at your door?

Because while most people imagine we just pop in unannounced and start taking notes, the reality is a lot happens first.

Here’s how I used to prepare for an inspection when I worked in local government:

🗂️ First, the background check

I’d start by looking at your history:

• When was the last inspection?
• What score did you get?
• Were there any outstanding works or issues noted?
• Have there been any complaints, food poisoning allegations or infectious disease notifications linked to the business?

If you had a rough inspection last time, I’d look to see if you’ve made improvements. If you scored highly, I’d still want to make sure standards hadn’t slipped.

I’d also check what type of food business you are. For example; a nursery kitchen is a totally different inspection to a kebab shop. A home baker is totally different to a food factory.

📋 Then, the prep list

Before I left the office, I’d make sure I had:

• Your business details and knowledge of previous visits
• An inspection checklist or ‘aide-memoir’
• A probe thermometer, wipes, torch, white coat, hat and yes, the clipboard (or tablet)

🔍 The mindset I’d take with me

This bit’s important: I never walked in hoping to catch someone out.

I came in hoping to see a clean, well-run business that understood food safety and took pride in getting things right.

But I was also trained to spot where that wasn’t happening and ask the right questions to understand why.

Because hygiene isn’t just about visual cleanliness. It’s about systems, habits, and culture.

🧼 Food Safety Tip: The inspection starts before we arrive

✔️ We don’t forget what happened last time. If there were issues, we’ll be looking to see if you fixed them. If not, that’s a red flag.

✔️ You don’t need to be perfect, but being honest helps. We can work with you to fix things. But if you try to hide or fudge it, it’s a different conversation.

✔️ Make sure your team is ready too. We’re not just checking you. We might talk to your chef, your front-of-house, even your delivery driver. If they don’t know the basics, it shows.

The Serious Lesson

For you, an inspection might feel like a surprise.
For us, it’s been building for days.

We don’t turn up cold. We do our homework. We want to give every business a fair shot, but we also need to be confident that what we’re seeing is real, safe, and sustainable.

So next time an EHO walks through your door, know this:
We’re not there to criticise, we’re there to protect.
And the best thing you can do is be ready, be honest, and be open to working with us.

That’s when inspections stop being stressful, and start being useful.

Got a question about how inspections actually work, or how to make sure your team’s ready?