Catering
Level 2 Food Safety - Catering. Buy in our course store and start straight away: about 1 hour 15 minutes.
ONLINE COURSE
Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate Online
Our Level 2 food hygiene certificate course is online food safety training for anyone who prepares, cooks, serves or sells food. Choose the catering, retail or manufacturing version, work through four short modules on any device and download your certificate when you pass. It suits new starters and existing staff in pubs, restaurants, shops, schools, care homes and food production. Try the first module free before you buy.
- IOSH Approved Training Provider 4301
- Highfield Approved Centre 17588
- Reply within one working day.
Photo: JC Gellidon on Unsplash
The Short Answers
What is a Level 2 food hygiene certificate?
It shows you’ve been trained in the basics of keeping food safe at work: the food safety law, the hazards between delivery and service, how to prevent contamination, and pests, premises and personal hygiene. Level 2 is aimed at people who prepare, cook, serve or sell food. For supervisors, Level 3 is the next step.
Who needs Level 2 food hygiene training?
Anyone working where food is prepared, cooked and handled: pubs, hotels and restaurants, supermarkets and shops, food and drink manufacturers, hospitals, care homes and schools. The law asks food businesses to make sure every food handler is supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene to a level that fits their work.
Is a food hygiene certificate a legal requirement?
No. The law requires appropriate training, not a particular certificate, and GOV.UK guidance says food handlers do not have to hold one. But you must be able to show your staff have the right skills and up-to-date training for their role, and keep a record of it. A certificate is the simplest way to do that.
Course facts
- Format
- E-learning approved by CPD, Gatehouse Awards, Institute of Hospitality and IIRSMonline, self-paced, on any device
- Duration
- About 1 hour 15 minutes3 CPD units
- Who it’s for
- Anyone who handles food at workcatering, retail and manufacturing versions
- Certificate
- Certificate on completion75% pass mark in each module
- The law
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter XIIfood handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene for their work
- Price
- £25 + VATper learner. Team pricing available.
- Versions
- Catering (£25)
Retail (£25)
Manufacturing (£25) - Free trial
- First module freetry it before you buy
What the Level 2 Food Hygiene Course Covers
Four modules, the same in each version, set in a catering, retail or manufacturing workplace. You need 75% in each module to pass.
Food Safety Legislation
The food safety laws that apply to food handlers and their employers, and why food that is prepared, cooked, served or sold must be safe to eat.
Hazards from Delivery to Service
How food safety risks actually arise, from the moment food arrives through storage and preparation to the point it’s served or sold.
Risk Control (Prevention of Contamination)
How to control and prevent those risks, so food doesn’t become contaminated on its way to the customer.
Pests, Premises and People
Pest control, premises hygiene, waste management and the personal hygiene expected of everyone who handles food.
Is an Online Food Hygiene Course Enough?
For most food handlers, yes, as part of how you train them. GOV.UK lists self-study alongside local authority courses, training on the job and previous experience as ways staff can learn the skills they need. What the law asks is that training fits the work, so pair the course with:
- Supervision on the job: show new starters your own procedures, such as your Safer Food, Better Business pack or HACCP plan.
- A training record: keep each certificate and the date, so you can show it at an inspection.
- Refreshers when things change: new menus, processes or equipment mean new training.
Inspectors look at the processes, training and systems you use to keep hygiene standards up, so a record of who has done what helps.
Level 1, 2 or 3: Which Do You Need?
The three levels build on each other. Pick the one that matches what the person actually does with food.
- Level 1 is an introduction for people who work around food but don’t prepare it: front of house, checkout, kitchen porters, warehouse staff and new starters handling low-risk or wrapped food.
- Level 2 is for anyone who prepares, cooks, handles or sells food in catering, retail or manufacturing.
- Level 3 is for supervisors, managers and owners who are responsible for other food handlers and for the business’s food safety management system.
Whoever writes or keeps your HACCP-based procedures needs adequate training in the HACCP principles. Our HACCP training is a good place to start.
Try before you buy
Try the First Module Free
See how the Level 2 Food Safety - Catering course works before you pay. Tell us where to send it and we’ll give you free access to the first module straight away.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter XII: Training (legislation.gov.uk)
- Running a food business: staff training, illness and hygiene (GOV.UK)
- Running a food business: food inspections (GOV.UK)
- Food hygiene ratings (GOV.UK)
- Running a food business: allergies (GOV.UK)
- Starting a food business, Food Standards Agency guidance (GOV.UK)
- Level 2 Food Safety: Catering: course outline (VideoTile)
Choose Your Version
Buy for one person in a couple of minutes, or talk to us about a team.
CLARITY
Common Questions
How long does a Level 2 food hygiene certificate last?
There’s no legal expiry date. GOV.UK guidance says staff must have up-to-date training for their role, so set a review date in your training record and refresh when someone changes role, when your menu, processes or equipment change, or when an inspection or incident shows a gap.
Can I get a Level 2 food hygiene certificate free?
You can try the first module of our course free before you buy, so you can see how it works. The certificate comes with the full course. GOV.UK also suggests asking your local authority about food hygiene courses it provides or recommends.
Which version should I choose: catering, retail or manufacturing?
Choose the one that matches where you work. Catering suits pubs, restaurants, cafés, hotels, schools, care homes and hospital kitchens. Retail suits shops and supermarkets. Manufacturing suits food and drink production. The modules are the same; the setting changes. Not sure? Ask us.
Will food hygiene training help our food hygiene rating?
It can help. When your council inspects, it checks how hygienically food is handled, the condition of your premises, and the processes, training and systems you use to keep hygiene standards up. Trained staff and a clear training record are part of that. Ratings run from 0 (urgent improvement necessary) to 5 (very good).
Does the Level 2 course cover allergens?
Allergen management isn’t a separate module in the Level 2 outline. GOV.UK says staff must be trained to manage allergies, and the Food Standards Agency provides free online food allergy training. Our Level 3 course includes a module on allergen hazards and controls.
Can we train our whole team and keep the certificates in one place?
Yes. On our e-learning platform you can enrol everyone at once, mix catering, retail and manufacturing versions, see who has finished and download certificates for your records. The course facts above list its CPD units, and our guide explains what CPD means.
Get Team Pricing
Training more than a few people on Level 2 Food Safety - Catering? Tell us how many and we’ll send team pricing within one working day.
- IOSH Approved Training Provider 4301
- Highfield Approved Centre 17588
- Reply within one working day.
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