Friday you're on the line in a hotel kitchen in Cork, plating up starters for a wedding of eighty. Saturday you're at a wedding yourself, a guest for once. Sunday it's back behind the deli counter for the early shift. If you work with food in Ireland, your hands probably live that double life most weeks: bare for work, dressed up for the weekend. Press-ons suit that rhythm well, because a full set goes on for the night out and comes off again in a few minutes before your next shift.
The short answer
On shift, keep your nails short, clean and bare: no nail varnish, no false nails, and no jewellery beyond a plain wedding band and, depending on the guidance, sleeper earrings or studs. That's what FSAI guidance for food stalls and for Country Markets producers says, and your own workplace will have its rules on top of that. Off shift, wear whatever you like, a full set of press-ons included. Soft gel press-ons come off in a few minutes with warm water and no acetone, so getting back to bare nails before work takes hardly any time.
What the FSAI actually says
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) publishes guidance for people handling food, and it's worth reading in its own words. Its Guidance Note No. 16 covers food stalls, which it takes to mean market stalls, food vans and other mobile or temporary setups. It states that "Nail varnish, false nails or false eyelashes must not be worn" and that "Jewellery must not be worn with the exception of a wedding band, sleeper ear rings or studs".
A separate FSAI publication, its Guide to Good Hygiene Practice for Country Markets Ltd producers, says much the same: "Keep your fingernails clean and short and free of nail varnish or false nails" and "Do not wear jewellery except for plain wedding rings and sleeper ear rings".
Neither document was written with a hotel kitchen or a coffee shop in mind. One covers food stalls, the other Country Markets producers. Still, both say the same thing about nails, so it's a sensible standard to work to, and your employer's own policy decides the rest. Neither makes an exception for gloves, so we won't suggest one either.
Why press-ons count too
It's easy to read false nails and picture only a salon set of acrylics. A press-on is a false nail too, whatever it's made from. Ours are handmade from soft gel rather than acrylic or hard gel, which is why they go on in about ten minutes and come off just as easily, but a false nail is a false nail. If the guidance or your workplace says no false nails while handling food, that includes press-ons.
That's also why they work so well for anyone in food. A set comes off in a few minutes with warm water and no acetone, so you don't have to choose between nice nails and doing your job properly. Wear them on your own time, take them off before your shift, and put them back on for your next evening off.
Front of house and your own employer
If you're front of house, serving, hosting, on the till or behind the bar rather than handling food, the rules depend on where you work. One place might apply the same no varnish, no false nails rule to the whole team; another might treat front of house differently. Your manager will know what applies to you.
In the end, your workplace's rules come from its own food safety management system, and that's what the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) looks at on an inspection. So whatever your role, your manager's policy is the one to follow.
Work in a hospital or care setting instead? Nurses and care staff have their own guidance to follow, so we've written a separate guide to press-on nails for nurses in Ireland.
How press-ons fit into a week of shifts
Once you know your workplace's rule, press-ons are easy to plan around your rota:
- Pick a shape you'll enjoy on your days off. Round is the shortest of our four shapes, followed by Oval Short, Square Short and Oval Long, so Round or Oval Short is the one to go for if you'd like something close to your natural length.
- Take your set off the evening before you're back on, rather than rushing it the morning of.
- Taking them off is a few minutes in warm water, with no acetone and no UV lamp, so it fits into an evening rather than taking one over.
- The nails are reusable, and every set comes with 150 adhesive tabs, a nail file, a cuticle pusher and 5 alcohol wipes, so the same set can go back on for your next days off.
- With the adhesive tabs, a set lasts 1 to 2 weeks, about 10 days on average, which easily covers a wedding weekend or a run of nights out.
Sizing
Every set is handmade from soft gel in the shape and size you choose: 10 nails plus 5 spares in your size. To measure, check the widest part of each nail. If you're between two sizes, go for the larger one, as the sides file down easily. If the size still isn't right, you can exchange an unused set for the right size within 14 days of delivery: the return costs €4.95 and we send your new size free of charge. Just start it in our returns portal. Not sure where to start? Our Find your shape and size guide walks you through it, or try the Beginnerset Reflected, with 30 nails in S, M and L in one box.
Delivery in Ireland
We ship from the Netherlands and orders to Ireland arrive in 3 to 5 working days. It all stays inside the EU, so there's no customs and nothing to pay on delivery. Each set is €28.95, and delivery is free on orders from €50, otherwise it's €4.95. You'll find more on our press-on nails Ireland page.
Questions we get from people who work with food
Can I wear press-on nails while I'm cooking or plating food?
Not while you're handling food. Both FSAI documents quoted above rule out false nails, and a press-on is a false nail. Take your set off before your shift and put it back on when you're off.
Does wearing gloves change anything?
Neither document we've quoted mentions an exception for gloves, so we wouldn't count on one. If your workplace has its own view on gloves and false nails, your manager is the person to ask.
I work on a food truck or a farmers' market stall. Does the same guidance apply to me?
Guidance Note No. 16 is written for food stalls, and it counts market stalls, food vans and other mobile or temporary setups as food stalls, so that's the one to read. It rules out nail varnish, false nails and false eyelashes, and limits jewellery to a wedding band, sleeper earrings or studs.
Can I wear press-ons if I work front of house rather than in the kitchen?
That depends on your employer. Some apply the same rule to everyone, floor and kitchen alike; others only to staff who handle food. Check with your manager rather than assuming either way.
How quickly can I get my nails bare again before a shift?
A soft gel set comes off in a few minutes with warm water and no acetone. There's no UV lamp and no drying time either way, so it fits easily into a normal evening.
Whatever your rota looks like, there's a set waiting for your next day off in our collection of handmade press-on nails.
Sources
- FSAI, Guidance Note No. 16: Food Stalls (Revision 2), 2016
- FSAI, Guide to Good Hygiene Practice (2014), for Country Markets Ltd producers
This article explains published FSAI guidance for people who work with food. It doesn't replace your employer's own food safety rules, so always check with your manager first.
