Allergen Matrix Template for UK Restaurants (14 Allergens, Copyable)

An allergen matrix is a one-page chart with your dishes down the side and the 14 UK allergens across the top, marked wherever a dish contains one. It is the most common way to give written allergen information for non-prepacked food, and the Food Standards Agency (FSA) publishes its own example. Copy the template below, fill it from your recipes and ingredient labels, and update it every time a recipe or supplier changes.

What an allergen matrix is, and when you need one

If you serve non-prepacked food (anything not sold sealed in packaging, which covers most restaurant dishes), you must tell customers which of the 14 allergens each dish contains. The FSA's allergen guidance allows this in writing or verbally with a clear notice. The FSA's best practice guidance goes further: written information that customers can see without asking, supported by a conversation, with all 14 allergens covered. A matrix does that job on a single sheet, and the FSA's example matrix is linked from its guidance.

A matrix is not the right tool for food prepacked for direct sale (PPDS), such as a wrapped sandwich. Those need a label with the food name and a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised. See our Natasha's Law guide.

Copy this allergen matrix template

Download the allergen matrix as a CSV file for Excel or Google Sheets, or copy the table below.

The dishes below are illustrative only. What a dish contains depends on your own recipe and your suppliers' products, so build yours from your own ingredient labels. Mark "Y" where the allergen is present, and leave the cell empty where it is not.

Add two columns for your own use, even if you do not show them to guests: Last checked (date and initials) and Recipe version. The first tells an inspector the sheet is live; the second tells your kitchen which recipe the row was built from.

How to fill it in correctly

• Work from labels, not memory. Check the actual product in your kitchen, including stock cubes, sauces, dressings, spice mixes and marinades. Allergens hide in them.
• Include everything on the plate. The FSA says the duty covers additives, processing aids and anything else present in the final product, so count garnishes, glazes, oils and decorations.
• Name the specific cereal or nut in words, for example "wheat" or "almond", not just "gluten" or "nuts". The FSA's best practice says this when information is given in words.
• Watch sulphites. Only sulphur dioxide and sulphites above 10 mg per kilogram or litre need to be declared, but wine, vinegar, dried fruit and some cured meats often exceed it. Check the labels.
• Keep "contains" and "may contain" separate. If you add precautionary wording about cross-contact, put it in its own column or a footnote so it is never confused with an ingredient.
• Be careful with "free from" claims. If you cannot separate an allergen by time and space in your kitchen, do not claim a dish is free from it.

Build it in seven steps

1. List every dish, side, sauce and special that can leave the kitchen, including children's menu items and desserts.
2. Pull the ingredient labels or specifications for every component, and keep them in a folder or a shared drive.
3. Split dishes into components where guests can choose or swap them. The FSA's best practice uses a burger example: bun, patty, sauce and coleslaw each carry their own allergens, so a guest allergic to mustard can order it without the coleslaw.
4. Fill in the matrix from the labels, one component at a time, then combine them for the whole dish.
5. Get a second check. Have the head chef or a different team member check each row against the labels before it is published.
6. Date it. Add the version and date at the top of the page.
7. Publish it where guests can see it and train staff on where it lives (see below).

Keep it current: a change checklist

A matrix is only useful while it is accurate. Re-check the affected rows whenever any of these happen:

• a recipe changes, including a "small" tweak to a sauce
• you switch supplier or brand for any ingredient
• a supplier tells you a product has been reformulated
• a delivery arrives with unfamiliar packaging, so you must re-read the label
• a last-minute substitution is made on the pass
• a seasonal or special dish is added to the menu
• a time-limited promotion introduces new items

The FSA's guidance suggests ways to stay accurate: keeping ingredient records, regularly checking whether ingredients have changed, minimising last-minute substitutions, keeping recipes to a fixed specification, using approved suppliers and having an allergen management policy. If a substitution does happen mid-service, update the information before the dish goes out, and tell the customer if their dish has changed.

Where to display it: paper, wall and QR

The FSA says written information should be readily available without customers having to ask, for example on the main menu, in a booklet on the counter, or as a matrix on a wall in a customer-accessible area. If the matrix is not on the menu, put a clear message on the menu telling guests how to get it, such as "We have a menu with allergen information, please speak to staff." The FSA provides free allergy and intolerance signs you can download.

If you publish a digital version, such as a QR link to a web page, the FSA says you should have an alternative route for guests who cannot use it and for when the page is down, so keep a printed copy behind the bar or at the host stand.

FSA templates and training

The FSA provides a free English-language and Welsh-language allergen matrix, an allergy and intolerance sign and allergen icons on its allergen guidance page. It also offers free online allergy training and an allergen checklist for staff. A matrix on the wall does not replace a conversation: ask every table whether anyone has an allergen requirement, and pass the answer to the kitchen in writing.

Why a spreadsheet gets stale

The weakness of a standalone spreadsheet is that nothing forces it to change when the menu does. TablePort stores the 14 allergens and dietary labels on the menu item itself, and its menu import from a photo or PDF picks up allergens at the point the dish is created, so there is one record to maintain. Treat the extracted allergens as a first draft for your chef to confirm. See TablePort POS for the menu setup.

This guide is general information, not legal advice; speak to your local authority's food team or a solicitor about your specific situation.