What this site is
Top Catering publishes practical, plain-English guides for people who run food businesses in South Africa — delis, takeaways, butcheries, bakeries, caterers, cafés and the event-hire operators who keep them supplied.
The topics are the ones that come up constantly in real kitchens: which equipment size actually fits the job, what Regulation R638 requires before an inspector arrives, how often fryer oil can safely be kept, what gastronorm sizes mean, and how to structure a cleaning schedule that survives a busy week.
Who writes it
Articles are written by people who work with commercial catering equipment and food-safety compliance day to day, then fact-checked against primary sources: the regulation text itself, manufacturer operating manuals, and municipal environmental health guidance.
Editorial rules
Every article on this site must pass these rules before it is published. They are enforced automatically by our build system, not just by good intentions:
- No prices. We do not publish rand amounts for equipment. Prices change constantly and a stale number is worse than no number. Where a regulation sets a monetary threshold, we cite the authority and tell you to verify the current figure.
- No vendor comparisons. We do not name shops, rank suppliers, or repeat claims about what things "cost elsewhere." If a guide helps you specify a requirement, you can take that specification to any supplier and get quotes.
- No unverifiable statistics. If a number cannot be traced to a published regulation, a manufacturer's datasheet, or a government source, it does not appear.
- Regulatory guidance is signposted. Where we explain legal requirements we cite the regulation and remind you that your municipal environmental health practitioner has the final say for your premises.
- No selling. This site sells nothing, carries no affiliate links and takes no payment for coverage. There is nothing to disclose because there is nothing to gain.
Corrections
If you spot an error — factual, regulatory or otherwise — tell us and we will correct it and date the correction. Being right matters more than looking right.
Contact
Use the contact details on the domain's WHOIS record, or reach us through the publisher's standard channels. We answer every correction request.