SmartChef: digital HACCP software for Irish kitchens
SmartChef keeps all your daily food safety records in one easy app on your team’s own phones. Deliveries, temperatures, cooking, holding, calibration and cleaning are recorded as they happen and kept ready for your next inspection.
What is SmartChef?
SmartChef is digital HACCP and food safety record keeping software for food businesses in Ireland. It’s a full HACCP system rather than just a temperature logger. Your team records deliveries, temperatures, cooking, cooling, reheating, holding, probe calibration, transport and cleaning on a phone or tablet, and every entry is dated, timed and linked to the person who made it.
Every food business in Ireland has to run a food safety system based on HACCP and keep records that prove it works. For most kitchens that has meant a folder of paper forms and a head chef catching up on the book after close. SmartChef reminds your team what’s due, flags anything out of range and keeps every record ready to show or print for the Environmental Health Officer.
SmartChef is a joint venture between GBA Solutions and Food Safety Management Solutions Ltd (FSMS), and it’s run by SmartChef Limited. The food safety side is led by Mark Long, Managing Director of FSMS, who has over 25 years’ experience in food safety and HACCP compliance. The software is built by Warren Harding, founder of GBA Solutions, and it’s built and supported in County Kildare.
The problems SmartChef solves
Paperwork that eats into service
Deliveries tend to arrive mid-service, and copying batch codes off every label takes time nobody has. With SmartChef you photograph the label and the record fills itself in.
Checks that slip on busy days
On paper, a missed fridge check or clean is usually only found when someone flicks back through the book. SmartChef knows what’s due in your kitchen and nudges your team before anything is missed.
Records you can’t rely on at inspection
Illegible initials and gaps in the folder make it hard to show your system works. SmartChef records who did what and when, ready to show or print.
Fridges failing when nobody is there
A freezer that fails overnight usually isn’t noticed until the morning check. With the optional WiFi sensors, you’re alerted by text, email, app and phone call if it stays out of range.
Who SmartChef is for
- Restaurants
- Cafés
- Hotels
- Caterers
- Nursing homes
- Delis
- Farm shops
- Food trucks
- Pubs and bars
- Multi-site groups
For restaurants
Restaurants keep the full set of records in one place, from deliveries and fridge checks to cooking, cooling and reheating. The Restaurants plan is designed for full-service kitchens and larger teams.
For cafés and food trucks
Smaller kitchens and mobile setups get exactly the same features on the lower priced plan. Staff use their own phones, so there’s no device to buy.
For hotels
Hotels can record hot and cold holding during service alongside the daily kitchen checks. SmartChef Group gives head office one view across several kitchens or properties.
For caterers
Caterers can record outbound deliveries with batch codes and temperatures as well as the usual kitchen records. Contract caterers running several kitchens can see them all on the free group dashboard.
For nursing homes
Nursing home kitchens keep the same HACCP records as any other kitchen, organised and ready for inspection. Groups can oversee kitchen food safety across every home in one place.
For pubs, delis and farm shops
Pubs and shops serving food can record bought-in food reheated straight from the pack, as well as fridge checks and cleaning. Delis and farm shops with more than one counter or location can compare them side by side.
How SmartChef works
You can set SmartChef up yourself in minutes, or the SmartChef team will do it for you free of charge.
Get your kitchen ready
Your fridges, freezers, probes, foods and suppliers are added before you start.
Log deliveries and checks
Your team snaps delivery labels, pulls Bluetooth probe readings with one tap and ticks off daily tasks.
Stay on top of what’s due
Reminders let your team know before anything is missed, and anything out of range is flagged.
Show your records at inspection
Find any record from any date in a few taps, or print it as a report for the EHO.
What SmartChef does
Every daily HACCP record
Deliveries, equipment temperatures, cooking, cooling and reheating, hot and cold holding, probe calibration, transport and cleaning, each laid out so it’s filled in correctly first time.
Delivery records from a photo
Take a photo of the delivery label and SmartChef reads the supplier, batch number and expiry date for you, keeping the photo as evidence. Unlimited scanning is included.
Reminders and alerts
SmartChef knows what’s due, from fridge checks to probe checks and cleaning, and nudges your team before anything slips.
ETI Bluetooth thermometers
Pair an ETI Bluetooth thermometer, tap the probe button while a record is open, and the temperature fills itself in.
Staff HACCP training included
Level 1 and 2 online HACCP training comes with every plan, with certificates stored in SmartChef so you can show an inspector who’s trained.
In your team’s own language
Each team member can switch SmartChef into their preferred language on their own phone. If your language isn’t there, the team will add it.
Optional 24/7 temperature monitoring
WiFi sensors log fridge and freezer readings every 5 minutes, and alert you by SMS, email, app and voice call if a unit stays out of range.
SmartChef Group for multiple sites
A free dashboard for owners and head office that compares every site’s records, lists missed checks and out of range readings, and emails a summary every Monday.
SmartChef compared with paper HACCP records
Here’s how the same daily jobs look on paper and with SmartChef.
| The usual way | With SmartChef | |
|---|---|---|
| Logging a delivery | Copy the batch code and date off every label by hand | Take a photo and the record fills itself in |
| Missed checks | Found when someone flicks back through the book | A reminder goes out before the check is missed |
| Who did what, and when | Initials, if you can read them | Every entry is timed and linked to a person |
| A fridge running warm overnight | Nobody knows until the morning check | With sensors, you get a text and a call |
| When the EHO arrives | Find the right folder and hope it’s complete | Any record, any date, in a few taps, or printed as a report |
| Cost | Printing, folders and a lot of staff time | From €25 a month with no contract |
Your records and support
- There’s no contract and you can cancel at any time with no penalties.
- Setup and training are included free, and the team will configure your kitchen for you.
- Temperature readings from the sensors are stored securely in the cloud and can be exported for inspections or audits.
- On the group dashboard, records are read only, so head office can view them but only the team at each site can create or change them.
- SmartChef is built and supported in County Kildare, and you can reach the team by phone or email.
SmartChef pricing
Cafés and food trucks
€25 a month
For smaller kitchens and mobile setups. All features included.
Restaurants
€40 a month
For full-service kitchens and larger teams. All features included.
SmartChef Group dashboard
Free
Free for businesses with more than one site. Each site stays on its own SmartChef plan.
Temperature monitoring
€15 a month
Optional. Base fee plus €4 a month per sensor, and sensor hardware from €275 once off.
Both plans include the same features and free setup, with no contract and a 30 day money back guarantee. A dedicated kitchen tablet is available for €150. All prices exclude VAT.
Find out more
Common questions about SmartChef
What is SmartChef?
SmartChef is digital HACCP and food safety record keeping software for food businesses in Ireland. Staff record deliveries, temperatures, cooking, holding, calibration and cleaning on their phones, and the records are kept ready for an Environmental Health Officer inspection. It’s run by SmartChef Limited, a joint venture between GBA Solutions and Food Safety Management Solutions Ltd.
How much does HACCP software cost in Ireland?
SmartChef costs €25 a month for cafés and food trucks and €40 a month for restaurants, plus VAT. Both plans include every feature and free setup, with no contract and a 30 day money back guarantee.
Are digital HACCP records accepted by EHOs in Ireland?
Irish food law requires you to keep records that show your food safety system works, but it doesn’t say they have to be on paper. EHOs look for records that are complete, made at the time, traceable to a person, show corrective actions and can be produced on the spot. SmartChef records can be shown on screen or printed.
Is SmartChef only for temperature monitoring?
No. SmartChef is a full digital HACCP system covering deliveries, temperatures, cooking, holding, calibration, transport and cleaning. 24/7 WiFi temperature monitoring is an optional add-on.
Do I need special equipment to use SmartChef?
No. SmartChef runs on the phones your staff already carry, or on any tablet. An ETI Bluetooth thermometer, WiFi fridge sensors and a €150 kitchen tablet are optional extras.
How long does it take to set up SmartChef?
You can set SmartChef up yourself in minutes, or the SmartChef team will add your fridges, freezers, checks and suppliers for you free. Most kitchens are up and running the same week.
Can I switch from the Safe Catering pack to SmartChef?
Yes. SmartChef’s records cover the same areas as the Safe Catering pack, so your team keeps doing the same checks on a phone instead of paper. You can start with SmartChef from any date.
How does SmartChef log deliveries from a photo?
You take a photo of the delivery label and SmartChef reads the supplier, batch number and expiry date for you. It takes about ten seconds, and the photo is kept with the record as evidence.
Can my staff use SmartChef in their own language?
Yes. Each team member can switch SmartChef into their preferred language on their own phone, with no setup needed, while the records stay consistent for inspections.
How does SmartChef temperature monitoring work?
SmartChef’s optional WiFi sensors log fridge and freezer temperatures every 5 minutes. If a unit stays out of range for about 45 minutes, alerts go out by SMS, email, app notification and voice call, then every 30 minutes while the problem continues.
Does SmartChef work for businesses with more than one site?
Yes. SmartChef Group is a free dashboard that shows every site’s HACCP records in one place, compares sites side by side and flags missed checks. Each site keeps its own SmartChef staff, logins and plan, and the SmartChef team sets the group up for you.
Can I try SmartChef before I buy?
Yes. The SmartChef interactive demo gives you a sample kitchen with records already in it, and no credit card is needed. Every plan also has a 30 day money back guarantee.
Want to know if SmartChef is right for you?
Have a look at smartchef.ie, or get in touch and we’ll talk you through it.