Looking for a Food Alert Alternative? Meet Aquaint.
Last updated: April 2026
Food Alert has been in the UK food safety space for years. They serve over 6,000 businesses and count names like Starbucks, Greene King, and Miller and Carter on their client list. They're established, they're credible, and they bundle consultancy with software.
So why are hospitality businesses looking for alternatives?
The consultancy model doesn't suit everyone
Food Alert's strength is also its limitation. Their core offering bundles compliance software (Alert65) with consultancy services - audits, training, HACCP development, risk assessments, and an emergency helpline.
That's brilliant if you want someone else to manage your compliance for you. But it comes at a significant price. And for operators who've already got their food safety knowledge dialled in and just need a tool to manage it day-to-day, you're paying for services you don't use.
One brewery we work with sank a 6-month Food Alert contract to switch to Aquaint. They didn't need consultants telling them how to run their kitchen. They needed an app that made compliance fast, visible, and easy for their team.
Software-first vs consultancy-first
Here's the fundamental difference:
Food Alert is a consultancy that built software. Aquaint is a software company built by hospitality operators.
That distinction matters because it shapes everything - the UX, the pricing model, the speed of innovation, and how the product actually feels in your team's hands.
Alert65 is a cloud-based platform designed to sit alongside Food Alert's consulting services. It's functional. But it wasn't built mobile-first for a kitchen porter checking temperatures during a Friday night rush.
Aquaint was. Every screen, every interaction, designed for one-handed use on a phone during service.
What Aquaint does differently
Mobile-first, not browser-first. Your team uses phones. Aquaint was designed for one-handed use during service. No desktop required.
Communication built in. Food Alert doesn't replace your WhatsApp groups. Aquaint does - with GDPR-safe communication tied directly to your operational workflow. When a task needs attention, the message and the action live in the same place.
All-in-one operations. Checklists, HACCP temperature logs, allergen tracking, incident and refusal logging, document management (with e-signatures), site scoring, and team comms. One app. One login. One place for everything.
Transparent pricing. £72/site/month on a rolling plan. £60/site/month annually. No bundled consultancy fees, no hidden charges, no "call us for a quote." You know exactly what you're paying.
Food Alert vs Aquaint: the comparison
Core model: Food Alert is consultancy + software. Aquaint is software-only.
Platform: Alert65 is browser-based. Aquaint is mobile-first (iOS and Android).
HACCP: Food Alert builds your HACCP plan for you (as a paid service). Aquaint gives you the tools to run it daily - plus a free HACCP template to get started.
Temperature logging: Both offer logging. Aquaint's is mobile-native with fridge, freezer, hot hold, and probe calibration built in.
Allergen tracking: Food Alert covers allergens within their consultancy. Aquaint has a live digital allergen matrix linked to every dish, accessible on every team member's phone.
Team comms: Food Alert doesn't include messaging. Aquaint replaces WhatsApp with GDPR-compliant team communication.
Audits and training: Food Alert provides on-site audits and in-person training (paid). Aquaint logs training records digitally with expiry dates and reminders - pair it with free resources like the FSA allergen training or Safer Food Better Business packs.
Reporting: Both offer reporting. Aquaint's compliance reports were built with Environmental Health Officers specifically for EHO inspections.
Pricing: Food Alert is typically a higher cost due to bundled consultancy. Aquaint is £72/site/month (rolling) or £60/site/month (annual). No setup fees.
When Food Alert makes more sense
Let's be fair - Food Alert is the better choice if you need hands-on consultancy. If you want someone to develop your HACCP plan from scratch, run your audits, train your team in person, and provide an emergency helpline, that's what Food Alert does well.
Aquaint doesn't offer consultancy. We're a software tool, and we're upfront about that.
When Aquaint makes more sense
If your team knows how to run compliant operations and you need a tool that makes it faster, more visible, and easier to manage across multiple sites - that's where Aquaint wins.
You don't need to pay for consultancy bundled into your software if your head chef already knows their HACCP inside out. You need an app that captures it, logs it, and makes it auditable.
You also need your team communicating in one place - not in WhatsApp groups that vanish when someone leaves, and not in a tool that treats comms as an afterthought.
We also provide a free HACCP template and hospitality training guides to get you started.
Zero churn tells the story
Aquaint has had zero customer churn since launch. 100+ brands signed up. None have left.
That includes operators who switched from Trail, from Leafe, from Hubl, and from Food Alert. They came because the product is purpose-built for hospitality. They stayed because it actually works.
See their stories on our case studies page.
Built with Environmental Health Officers
The compliance features in Aquaint weren't designed by developers guessing what inspectors look for. They were built with EHOs. The Andersen Group achieved a 5-star EHO rating using Aquaint - the reports are designed to pass inspections, not just tick boxes.
Co-founder Sunil also built Pharmsmart, the UK's leading pharmacy compliance app used by 51% of pharmacies. Compliance software is in the DNA. Learn more about the team.
Try it
If you're weighing up your options and Food Alert feels like more than you need - or more than you want to pay for - give Aquaint a look.
Book a free demo. 15 minutes. No consultancy pitch.
FAQs
Is Aquaint a like-for-like replacement for Food Alert?
Not exactly. Food Alert bundles consultancy (audits, HACCP development, training) with software. Aquaint is software-only - but it covers more operational ground (team comms, allergen matrices, incident logging, document management) at a fraction of the cost.
How much does Aquaint cost compared to Food Alert?
£72/site/month rolling or £60/site/month annual. Food Alert's pricing varies depending on the consultancy package but is typically significantly higher.
Can I use Aquaint without any consultancy?
Yes. Aquaint is self-serve with guided onboarding. If you need HACCP help, our free HACCP template and training guides cover the basics. For more complex needs, we can recommend independent consultants through our partner network.
Does Aquaint cover food safety compliance?
Yes. HACCP temperature logs, allergen tracking, incident logging, probe calibration records, and audit trails - all built to meet FSA requirements and designed for EHO inspections.
What about Martyn's Law compliance?
Aquaint also handles venue security compliance prep. See our guide to Martyn's Law for hospitality.
What size of business is Aquaint built for?
Single-site pubs through to enterprise chains. The Modern Milkman uses Aquaint across 20 hubs in the UK and US. The Ministry runs a 50,000 sqft London members' club on it.
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