Allergen matrix template

An allergen matrix is a simple table. It shows every dish and drink you sell against the 14 allergens, so you and your staff can answer a customer’s question quickly and the same way every time.

What an allergen matrix is

Down the left side, you list your dishes and drinks. Across the top, you list the allergens. Where a dish contains an allergen, you mark the box. Nothing else. That is the whole idea, and it is why so many kitchens use one.

A matrix turns knowledge that sits in one person’s head, often the chef’s, into a sheet anyone can read. When a customer says “I can’t eat sesame”, a new member of staff can run a finger down the sesame column and see what to steer them away from.

Who uses one

• Cafés, coffee shops and tearooms
• Restaurants, pubs and hotel kitchens
• Takeaways, food vans and market stalls
• School, care home and workplace kitchens
• Bakers and caterers who make food to order

If you make food from your own recipes and sell it, a matrix is one of the easiest ways to keep your allergen information in one place.

How to fill one in

1. List everything you sell. Include drinks, sauces, sides, dressings and specials. Toppings and extras count too.
2. Work from the recipe, not from memory. Go through each ingredient one at a time, including anything you buy in, such as stock, bread, mayonnaise or a spice mix.
3. Read every label. Bought-in ingredients list their allergens on the packet, usually in bold. Check each one rather than guessing from the name.
4. Mark each allergen the dish contains. If a dish contains none of them, record that clearly too, so nobody wonders whether it was missed.
5. Sign and date it. Write who checked the sheet and when, then put it where staff can find it during service.

The free builder on this site follows the same steps. It will not let you print until every dish has been checked, which helps you avoid a gap.

How often to review it

A matrix is only right on the day it was checked. Review it whenever something changes, and on a regular date as well, so changes do not slip through.

• When you change a recipe or add a new dish
• When a supplier changes, or a product is swapped for a different brand
• When a delivery arrives with a different label from usual
• When you change the menu for a new season

Many kitchens also pick a fixed review date, such as the first Monday of each month. The printed sheet has space for “Next review” so the date is not forgotten.

Tips for a matrix staff will trust

• Use the same dish names as your menu and till, so there is no confusion.
• Keep one master copy. Throw away old printouts when you print a new one.
• Keep recipe cards and supplier labels, so you can show where each tick came from.
• Tell staff to check the sheet every time, even for regular customers. Recipes change.
• If someone is not sure, they should say so and ask, rather than guess.

Blank template or online builder?

The blank template is a printable A4 landscape sheet with the 14 allergen columns and 20 empty rows. It suits a pen-and-paper kitchen, or a quick check of a short menu.

The online builder is quicker for longer menus. You can paste your whole menu in one go, then tick the allergens on screen. It saves your work in your browser and prints a neat, typed sheet. When you change a recipe, update it and print again.

This page is general guidance, not legal advice. For official guidance, read theFood Standards Agency orFood Standards Scotland.