A one-off food hygiene inspection before you open — no monthly subscription. Opening a restaurant, café, takeaway or new food preparation area? Get a practical, independent check of your kitchen, paperwork and staff readiness with Olga Wylde before your first official Environmental Health Officer (EHO) inspection.
New Premises Inspection: £259 + VAT (£310.80 including VAT), plus applicable travel and expenses. Includes a pre-inspection paperwork review, a 2–2.5 hour on-site inspection and a practical action plan. Use our pricing page and visit calculator to estimate travel costs, then ask Olga to confirm your quote and availability.
A professional sanity check before you open
Fitting out a kitchen is only part of getting ready. You also need a team that understands the procedures, records that are used properly and a food-safety system suited to your menu. A pre-opening food hygiene inspection gives you a chance to review how these fit together.
This is for owners who want expert support for a specific visit. You can ask for a one-off inspection without committing to ongoing monthly support. Tell us your planned opening date, postcode and type of food business so we can check availability.
What the pre-opening inspection includes
- A pre-inspection review of your Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) or HACCP records.
- A 2–2.5 hour on-site food-hygiene inspection.
- Review of the premises, food-safety systems, records, working practices, allergen controls and staff readiness.
- A practical action plan to help you prepare for the official local-authority inspection.
We look at the operation you are setting up: your menu, equipment, layout and everyday routines. If part of the fit-out or staffing is still incomplete, tell Olga before booking so the timing and scope of the visit can be agreed.
How your one-off inspection works
1. Tell Olga about your business. Send your postcode, planned opening date, menu or type of food, and any concerns. We will confirm the scope, availability and applicable travel costs before you book.
2. Review your kitchen and food-safety arrangements. Olga reviews your existing SFBB or HACCP paperwork and carries out the on-site inspection, looking at how the premises, working practices and staff knowledge fit your operation.
3. Leave with practical priorities. Your action plan helps you understand what needs attention before the council visits. You can discuss further support separately; there is no requirement to take a monthly subscription.
Prepare for your first EHO inspection
In England, register your food business with the relevant local authority at least 28 days before trading. Registration, any required approvals and the council’s inspection are separate from our consultancy visit. Ask your council if you are unsure which requirements apply to your operation.
- Have food-safety procedures appropriate to the food you will handle and the way you will prepare it.
- Set clear responsibilities for opening and closing checks, cleaning, temperature controls, deliveries and pest monitoring.
- Make sure the team knows where to find accurate allergen information and how to handle an allergy enquiry.
- Train staff for their actual tasks, and keep suitable records of the instruction they receive.
- Start keeping truthful records when checks begin. Do not create a history of checks that never happened.
For more detail, read our new restaurant food-safety preparation guide. We can also discuss practical staff training for your opening team.
Experience from real hospitality operations
Pass Your EHO combines more than 10 years of hands-on hospitality experience with 8 years of specialist food safety, health and safety and BRCGS auditing experience. Olga Wylde brings practical, non-judgemental support to busy kitchens, with clear explanations and workable priorities.
Based near Stansted Airport, we support restaurants, cafés, takeaways, pubs, caterers, bakeries and other food premises across Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and London. Send your postcode so we can confirm availability and travel costs.
Olga provides Russian and Lithuanian translation and can speak and understand Polish, helping your team follow food-safety guidance.
Pre-opening inspection questions
Is this the official EHO inspection?
No. This is an independent food-hygiene inspection and preparation service. The local authority carries out the official inspection and awards any Food Hygiene Rating. Our visit does not replace registration, approval or a council inspection.
Can you help if I have already opened?
Yes. Tell Olga that you are trading and whether the first council inspection has taken place. We can discuss the most appropriate package and priorities for your current stage.
Do I need a monthly subscription?
No. The pre-opening inspection is a one-off service. The package is £259 + VAT, with any applicable travel and expenses explained in the pricing policy. Additional support can be discussed separately if you need it.
Will this guarantee a 5 food hygiene rating?
No consultant can guarantee the council’s decision. The purpose is to help you identify gaps, understand the required practices and give your business a stronger foundation before the official inspection.
What should I have ready?
Your menu, planned opening date, premises postcode, current food-safety paperwork and details of your team. If you have correspondence from the council, mention it when enquiring. Olga can explain what will be useful for the visit.
Request your one-off pre-opening inspection
Call 07938 909614 or email olgawylde@gmail.com. Please include your business name, postcode, planned opening date and the help you need. Olga can confirm availability and the total quoted cost before you commit.
Official guidance: food business registration and starting a food business.
Pass Your EHO is an independent consultancy, separate from the Food Standards Agency and local authorities. Only the relevant local authority can award or change an official Food Hygiene Rating. No particular rating is guaranteed.