Home Bakery - Do I need a split sink?

[Nathanial Essex]

Hi all

Our local council and Food Standards Agency are useless at getting back to people with basic questions. I am starting a home bakery and have completed my hygiene training. One thing on there that I'm struggling with is having a split sink in the kitchen. We have a sink upstairs for hand washing but the course is not clear whether that's acceptable for a home kitchen. Splitting the sink will require ripping our one out and it's not something we're looking to do! Any advice?

 

[Charliechops]

you can use what you have because after all it is a home and you are not expected to turn it into a commercial kitchen, however you are required to wash and disinfect between uses. So get a food safe surface spray and spray after each time you've used the sink.

 

[Forgot password]

Hi Nathanial

Just clarify if you do need a split sink. If you do then it’s really not that much of a stress to change your existing one. Pipes undo - life out current sink breaking silicon seal. Pop new split sink in place - re attach pipes - run a bit of silicon and bobs your uncle. (Just get correct size)

 

[Nathanial Essex]

Hi Nathanial

Just clarify if you do need a split sink. If you do then it’s really not that much of a stress to change your existing one. Pipes undo - life out current sink breaking silicon seal. Pop new split sink in place - re attach pipes - run a bit of silicon and bobs your uncle. (Just get correct size)

Spoken like a true handyman who clearly knows what he's doing but doesn't realise that some of us are useless!

 

[Forgot password]

It’s no big deal bruv - don’t look at the detail and the perceived complexity of two sinks split in the middle and a mixer tap and blah blah blah ... look at it as taking one bowl out of a hole and putting another bowl in. Doesn’t matter the make up of the bowls. It’s just the perimeter if that makes sense.

 

[MOIC]

Get 2 separate sinks.

1 for food preparation.

1 for dirty utensils and hand washing.

If you're going to do it, then do it properly.

IMO

 

[The Byre]

We have one of these in our kitchen -

You can hardly imagine just how labour-saving it is to be able to dump loads of dirty stuff in the sinks and forget about it when in the middle of doing something else. I put an additional shelf underneath and it is home now to all those things one needs now and then, without having them clutter the place up.

As James said, laying new pipes and connections is much easier than you think - they are now flexible and just plug into one another.

Tip - don't join the waste pipes but run two separate pipes to the main drain to avoid waste water from sink A bubbling up into sink B.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

We have a sink upstairs for hand washing but the course is not clear whether that's acceptable for a home kitchen.

Common sense suggests not.

 

[ecommerce84]

We used a ‘Handeman Xtra’ sink for hand washing and EHO were fine with it. We went for the unpowered one, so it does need hot water top ups but it’s great for taking to events where we may be in the middle of a field.

They also do electric ones if you are only going to use it at home that keep the water hotter for longer.

 

[ethical PR]

Spoken like a true handyman who clearly knows what he's doing but doesn't realise that some of us are useless!

Then just pay a plumber/DIY person to do it. Simple.

With a business you often pay an expert to do the part of your business that you can't

 

[Interestedobserver]

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[prophet01]

Hi all

...We have a sink upstairs for hand washing but the course is not clear whether that's acceptable for a home kitchen.

Common sense suggests not.

Exactly, common sense absolutely suggests not.
If in doubt, just do it.

I don't know who is your Local Authority but a quick google brings up the below requirement of Bromley council:
You will also be required to install one or more wash hand basins in areas where open food is handled and prepared, to be used exclusively for handwashing.

Plenty of other specific guidance at the FSA:
Starting a food business from home