Bonfire Night Food Safety Guide
Serve toffee apples, hot dogs, and soup safely at your fireworks event
Bonfire Night and fireworks events are a significant revenue opportunity for pubs, restaurants, and outdoor caterers. The typical food offering — hot dogs, burgers, soup, toffee apples, jacket potatoes, and hot chocolate — involves both outdoor cooking and prolonged hot-holding, often in cold and dark conditions. This combination creates food safety challenges that require careful planning.
The risk of burns, fire spread, and cross-contamination is heightened when cooking takes place near bonfires and fireworks. Visibility is poor, staff may be wearing gloves that make handling food difficult, and the pressure to serve large crowds quickly can lead to shortcuts. This guide covers the specific food safety considerations for Bonfire Night events.
Key Risks
Hot-holding temperature failure
Soup, chilli, hot dogs, and other items held for extended periods must stay above 63°C. In cold, windy outdoor conditions, temperatures can drop rapidly, especially if lids are removed frequently for serving.
Burns and fire safety near cooking areas
Cooking near bonfires and fireworks creates an elevated burn risk for staff. Loose clothing, wooden structures, and flammable decorations near gas burners or charcoal grills can cause fires.
Poor lighting and visibility
Dark conditions make it difficult to check food visually, read temperature probes, identify contamination, and maintain hygiene standards. Staff may not notice when food has fallen on the ground or when equipment is dirty.
Allergens in confectionery and seasonal treats
Toffee apples contain tree nuts if rolled in chopped nuts. Hot chocolate may contain milk and soya. Parkin cake contains gluten, egg, and treacle. Many Bonfire Night treats are bought in from suppliers with varying allergen profiles.
Checklist
Check hot-holding equipment capacity
Ensure bain-maries, soup kettles, and warming cabinets can maintain 63°C or above for the duration of the event. Test equipment before the event and monitor temperatures every 30 minutes during service.
Install adequate lighting at food areas
Set up battery-powered or mains LED lighting at all food preparation, cooking, and serving areas. Staff must be able to see what they are doing clearly, read thermometer displays, and spot any hygiene issues.
Separate cooking areas from bonfire and fireworks
Position all food cooking and serving areas at a safe distance from the bonfire and fireworks launch area. Follow local fire safety guidance and ensure fire extinguishers are accessible at every cooking station.
Prepare allergen information for all treats
List allergens for every item including toffee apples, hot chocolate, soup, hot dogs (buns contain gluten), and any confectionery. Display allergen information clearly at each serving point.
Brief staff on cold weather hygiene
Remind staff that wearing gloves for warmth is not a substitute for handwashing. Gloves must be changed between tasks and are not food-safe unless they are disposable food-grade gloves used correctly.
Plan waste management for the event
Provide sufficient lidded bins at food service points. Arrange for waste to be cleared regularly during the event — overflowing bins attract pests and create a poor impression if the EHO visits.
Common Mistakes
Quick Tips
Pre-portion soup and chilli into insulated cups with lids rather than ladling from open containers in the wind.
Use digital thermometers with backlit displays that can be read easily in the dark.
Have a covered, well-lit area designated for food preparation away from the public.
Brief all staff on the location of fire extinguishers and first aid equipment before the event starts.
How Paddl Helps
Event-specific checklists
Build custom Bonfire Night checklists covering setup, hot-holding checks, allergen display, and breakdown. Assign tasks to named staff with completion tracking.
Temperature logging in the field
Log hot-holding temperatures on your phone during the event. Paddl works offline and syncs when you reconnect, so poor signal at outdoor venues is not a problem.
Allergen display support
Generate printable allergen sheets for each serving point directly from Paddl. Update them instantly if a product changes or runs out and is substituted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What temperature must hot food be held at during a Bonfire Night event?
Hot food must be held at or above 63°C. In England, food can be held below 63°C for a single period of up to two hours for service, after which it must be discarded. Given the cold outdoor conditions on Bonfire Night, it is safer to maintain 63°C throughout and monitor frequently.
Do I need a licence to sell food at a Bonfire Night event?
You need to be registered as a food business. If selling at an event in a different local authority area, notify them in advance. You may also need a temporary events notice (TEN) if selling alcohol. Check with the event organiser and local council.
How do I keep staff safe when cooking near a bonfire?
Maintain at least a 10-metre distance between cooking areas and the bonfire. Ensure staff wear close-fitting clothing (not loose scarves or aprons that could catch fire), have fire extinguishers at every cooking station, and brief everyone on emergency procedures before the event.
Stay compliant all year round
Paddl makes seasonal food safety simple. Digital checklists, temperature monitoring, allergen management, and staff training records — all in one platform built for UK hospitality.