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Compliance

Best Digital SFBB Software (2026)

Digital Safer Food Better Business solutions compared for UK food businesses.

Updated: 2026
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The short list

SFBB+ is the cheapest digital diary at £4.99 a month per premises, SFBB Pro is £25.95, and Paddl at £69 per location per month generates the pack and adds HACCP, allergens, training and the audit pack.

  • Paddl: The SFBB pack plus everything the EHO asks next
  • SFBB+: Cheapest digital SFBB diary
  • SFBB Pro: SFBB records with multi-user access

Reviewed by the Paddl team ·

Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) is the FSA's recommended food safety management system for smaller food businesses. While the paper SFBB pack is free to download, many businesses are moving to digital SFBB solutions that automate diary entries, prompt safe method reviews, and produce cleaner documentation for EHO inspections. We compared the available options.

How We Evaluated

1

SFBB coverage

Completeness of digital SFBB implementation - safe methods, daily diary, 4-weekly review, opening/closing checks.

2

Pack variants

Support for different SFBB packs: Caterers, Retailers, Indian Cuisines, Chinese Cuisines.

3

Diary automation

How effectively the system automates daily diary entries and prompts.

4

EHO presentation

Quality of documentation produced for showing Environmental Health Officers.

5

Multi-location

Support for managing SFBB across multiple locations from one account.

Our Picks

Our pick

Paddl

Best for: The SFBB pack plus everything the EHO asks next

The AI drafts the SFBB pack from your menu and kit, the diary and checks run on the app, and the same subscription covers the HACCP plan, allergens, training records and the audit pack.

Strengths
✓SFBB, HACCP, allergens, temperature and cleaning records in one subscription
✓AI drafts the HACCP plan from your menu, equipment and chemicals
✓EHO audit pack exports every record as one PDF
✓One published price with every feature and a 30-day free trial
Weaknesses
✗No sensor hardware: staff log temperatures on the app
✗No volume discount for larger groups
✗Four tills connect today: Square, Zettle, Epos Now and SumUp POS
Pricing:£69 per location per month, every feature included, 30-day free trial. No tiers and no volume discount.
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SFBB+

Best for: Cheapest digital SFBB diary

A digital version of the FSA SFBB pack for iOS and Android: the daily diary, temperature checks and the safe-method pages, with multi-premises support. It covers the pack and no more.

Strengths
✓£4.99 a month per premises, the cheapest option here
✓Built around the FSA pack
✓Long free trial
Weaknesses
✗Diary only: no HACCP plan, allergen matrix or training records
✗No team management or audit pack
✗Thin reporting
Pricing:£4.99 a month per premises; 90-day free trial. Checked 2026-09-11 against sfbbplus.co.uk.

SFBB Pro

Best for: SFBB records with multi-user access

A UK app built around the SFBB requirements: daily checks, temperature logs and cleaning schedules, with shared records for several users and a stated EHO approval.

Strengths
✓Aligned to the FSA SFBB pack
✓Multi-user access with shared records
✓iOS and Android
Weaknesses
✗Five times the price of SFBB+ for a similar SFBB scope
✗No allergen matrix, HACCP plan or equipment records
✗No published multi-site management
Pricing:£25.95 a month per premises after a 14-day trial. Checked 2026-09-11 against sfbbpro.co.uk.

Trail (by Access)

Best for: SFBB checks inside a task app

Trail carries SFBB-style daily checks as tasks; the pack itself is not generated.

Strengths
✓Established platform with proven scale
✓Strong daily checklist and task management workflows
✓Strong sensor integration for temperature monitoring
✓Good document storage capabilities
Weaknesses
✗No AI-powered HACCP generation
✗Checklist-led workflows are not the same as a full food safety management system
✗No dedicated EHO visit preparation dashboard
✗Limited structured SFBB, COSHH, risk assessment, and allergen workflows compared with Paddl
Pricing:From £38 per site per month on a 12-month term (Team); £75 Standard, £82.50 Trail Evo; unlimited users. Checked 2026-09-11 against trailapp.com. 4.9/5 from 7 reviews on Capterra. Full comparison with Paddl

Alert65 (Food Alert)

Best for: SFBB with a consultant behind it

Food Alert's software with daily checks and documents, backed by its consultancy and audits.

Strengths
✓Established UK food safety consultancy behind the software
✓Consultants can help set up HACCP, risk assessments, and safety policies
✓Covers everyday compliance workflows including checklists, audits, and training
✓24/7 Food Alert advice line for expert support
Weaknesses
✗No public AI HACCP generation or AI document extraction claims
✗Basic package pricing is competitive, but package scope and included modules should be checked carefully
✗Consultancy-backed setup may be heavier than self-serve software
✗No clear public focus on shift handovers, EOD reports, or GPS check-in
Pricing:Quote-led; Capterra lists from £20,000 a year, a three-site basic package was quoted at about £2,250 a year. Checked 2026-09-11 against capterra.co.uk. 4.7/5 from 126 reviews on Trustpilot. Full comparison with Paddl

The FSA SFBB pack (paper)

Best for: Zero budget

The Food Standards Agency's own Safer Food Better Business pack, free to download and print. It is the baseline every EHO knows; the cost is the time spent filling it in and the risk of gaps when a page goes missing.

Strengths
✓Free
✓Accepted everywhere
✓No login or device needed
Weaknesses
✗Handwritten, so no timestamps or reminders
✗Diary only: no HACCP plan, allergen matrix or training records
✗Easy to lose and hard to search during an inspection
Pricing:Free. Checked 2026-09-11 against gov.uk.
Compliance

Paddl is on this list for a reason

One platform for compliance, operations and protection, built for UK hospitality from a single cafe to a national chain. Try it free and compare it in your own kitchen.

Start free trialDigital SFBB app
See how Paddl compares with Trail (by Access)

Buying Guide

Is paper SFBB still acceptable?

Yes, paper SFBB is still fully legal and accepted by EHOs. However, digital SFBB systems produce more consistent records, are harder to lose, and typically impress inspectors more. If your paper SFBB diary has gaps or inconsistencies, a digital system can help you maintain better records.

SFBB vs HACCP - which do I need?

SFBB is itself a simplified HACCP-based system designed for smaller food businesses. If you run a restaurant, cafe, or takeaway, SFBB is usually sufficient. Larger or more complex operations (hotels, catering companies, businesses with high-risk processes) may benefit from or require a full HACCP plan in addition to or instead of SFBB.

Related Resources

GuideHow to Set Up SFBB for Your Food BusinessGlossarySFBB (Safer Food Better Business)RegulationFood Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006FeatureSfbb

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use SFBB?

You don't have to use SFBB specifically, but you must have a documented food safety management system based on HACCP principles. SFBB is the most widely used option for smaller UK food businesses because it's free, straightforward, and universally understood by EHOs.

Which SFBB pack should I use?

The Caterers pack is the default for most food businesses. Retailers (shops selling food), Indian Cuisines, and Chinese Cuisines packs are available for businesses where the standard caterers pack doesn't fit. Your local authority can advise which pack is most appropriate.

Find the right tool for your business

Paddl brings compliance, operations, and team management into one platform built specifically for UK hospitality. See how it compares.

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