If you are planning to start a new catering business, you must register
your premises with the environmental health service by completing Food
Registration Form at least 28 days before opening. This is a legal
requirement for fppd business, including catering businesses run from home and mobile or temporary
premises such as stalls and burger vans.
Registration enable us to generate a suitable inspection programme taking
into account the risks involved. It also enables us to contact you should there be a notification
of contamination of foodstuffs you sell or use or a product recall. Any changes in proprietorship much
also be notified by means of completing a new form.
Plan what you need to do
Before opening, organise waste and recycling collections and get appropriate
training and tools in place. It makes good business sense to serve food that is safet to eat -
good food hygiene helps prevent food poisoning and protects your reputation with customers.
You might need to register as self-employed and/or register for Value
Added Tax (VAT). These registration processes are completely separate from registering your food
premises.
If you want to make changes to your premises, remember that you might
need planning permission.
You will need to pay business rates on most premises and licences for
certain activities, such as selling or supplying alcohol or selling hot good between 11pm and 5am.
Checklist for starting up
Have you registered your premises?
Do the design and construction of your premises meet legal requirement?
Are you aware of the main General Food Law Requirements?
Do you keep written records of all the suppliers that provide you with food
or any food ingedients?
Have you put food safety management procedures in place and are you keeping
up-to-date records of these?
Do you and your staff understand the prinicples of good food hygiene?
Have you considered health and safety and fire safety arrangements?
Have you registered as self-employed?
Do you need to register for VAT?
Are you keeping records of all your business income and expenses?
Are you keeping records of your employees' pay and do you know how to pay
their tax and National Insurance contributions?
Do you describe food and drink accurately?
Do you need to apply for a licence to sell alcohol, for entertainment, for
selling hot food and drinke late at night or selling food on the street?
"Food Hygiene - a guide for businesses", also
produced by the Food Standards Agency, has information on legal requirements for food businesses. These
are available in a variety of languages.
Food Hygiene Training
Food, when not handled properly, can be very dangerous, leading to illness
and even death. It is important that ebfore starting your business you have some knowledge about
food safety and good hygiene practices.
It is a legal requirement that "the proprietor of a food business
shall ensure that food handlers engaged in the food business are supervised and instructed and/or trained
in good hygiene matters commensurate with their work activities." It is also good business
sense to have appropriate training. It is recommended that you attend the CIEH Level 2 Award in
Food Safety in Catering training or an equivalent. Courses are run regularly at the Council Offices
by our Environmental Health team or you can find a trainer on theCIEH
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