Food business

Food business

If you are a business involved in food and drinks, or you are an approved premises supplying food to other businesses you will need to follow hygiene and safety rules. You may also need a licence.

A food business - whether for profit or not - is one involving:

• preparation of food
• processing of food
• manufacture of food
• packaging of food
• storage of food
• transportation/distribution of food
• handling of food
• offering food for sale
• and includes anyone catering from a home or domestic address such as a cake maker.

An approved premises is one producing or supplying products of animal origin to other food businesses. You will need approval to do this work.

Starting and registering a new food business

Get set up right from the start by making sure you:

1. Have the right planning permission for your premises:

• link: planning permission

2. You have building regulation permission for any structural changes to your premises:

• link: building regulation permission

3. You have the right licence if you're using a vehicle as your premises:

• link: Mobile trading

4. You're not causing a nuisance with any extractors you need to fit.

5. You've registered to have trade waste collected:

• link: trade waste collected

6. You've implemented a suitable food safety management system such as a Safer Food Better Business pack:

• website: Safer food, better business (SFBB) - Food Standards Agency

7. For butchers or higher risk food premises a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) documentation and validation.

You will need to make sure you have identified and carried out anything needed to make your food business safe.

Ways to contact us about your food business or premises

If you have any questions or are an premises needing to discuss what approval you need in place you can contact us by: