Allergen Matrix (UK 14 Allergens)
Excel (.xlsx) — also opens in Google Sheets & Numbers
An allergen matrix is a grid of every dish against the 14 allergens UK law requires you to declare, so anyone on shift can answer "does this contain…?" from one sheet. This template sets out all 14 as columns in Excel or Google Sheets, holds 30 dishes, counts the allergens in each and prints for the pass, front of house and your EHO.
What's inside
- All 14 UK allergens as ready columns
- Per-dish allergen count, print-ready
- Supports Natasha's Law record-keeping
- A record-keeping aid — you confirm accuracy with your EHO
What it does
A clean, printable record of which of the 14 UK allergens are in each dish. All 14 allergens are set up as ready columns — mark a Y where an allergen is present and the sheet counts them per dish for you.
It supports Natasha's Law (PPDS) record-keeping and gives front-of-house one page to answer allergen questions from, instead of a shout through the pass.
Who it's for
Every UK food business, full stop — allergen information isn't optional. This is a record-keeping aid: you stay responsible for confirming accuracy with your own kitchen and your EHO.
The 14 columns, in the template's order
Celery, gluten (cereals), crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, molluscs, mustard, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, soya and sulphites. These are the 14 allergens listed in UK food law; the Food Standards Agency's allergen guidance for food businesses explains what each covers.
How a row works
List a dish in the first column and put a Y under every allergen it contains. The last column counts the Ys, so a dish with gluten, eggs, milk and mustard shows 4. Leave a cell blank when the allergen is not present. The count is a quick check that nobody has skipped a row: a dish showing 0 is either genuinely allergen-free or not filled in yet.
How to use it
- Work from your recipe specs and the supplier specification sheets, not memory: allergens hide in stock cubes, sauces, dressings and bread.
- Fill one row per dish as it is served, including garnishes and sauces.
- Print it for the kitchen and front of house, and keep a dated copy each time the menu or a supplier changes.
- Review it whenever a product is substituted. A different brand of the same ingredient can carry different allergens.
What it does not do
It is a record-keeping aid, not legal advice. It does not manage cross-contamination, and for prepacked-for-direct-sale (PPDS) food you still need a full ingredients label on the pack; this sheet is the source you write those labels from. You remain responsible for its accuracy, so confirm your approach with your local Environmental Health team.
Questions people ask
Is this a subscription?
No. It is a one-off £8.99, with no VAT charged: buy it once, download the file and it is yours to keep. It works offline.
Does it work in Google Sheets?
Yes. Upload the .xlsx to Google Drive and open it with Google Sheets; the formulas carry over. It also opens in Apple Numbers.
How is it different from the free allergen matrix?
The free template holds 12 dishes. This one holds 30, adds a per-dish allergen count and comes with a Start Here sheet on keeping it accurate.
Does it cover may-contain warnings?
No. Use the columns for allergens that are ingredients of the dish. Record precautionary "may contain" information from supplier specs separately, and handle cross-contact through your kitchen procedures.
Goes well with
Try the numbers first, free: the food cost & GP calculator and the recipe costing tool run in your browser.