Food business premises registration

What counts as a food business?

Food premises include:

• restaurants
• hotels
• cafes
• shops
• supermarkets
• staff canteens
• kitchens in offices
• warehouses
• guest houses
• delivery vehicles
• buffet cars on trains
• market and other stalls
• hot dog and ice cream vans

Advice on getting started

Follow this link to Food business- how to get started for advice on setting up a food business before you register.

If you use vehicles for your food business in connection with permanent premises such as a shop, warehouse, you only need to tell us how many vehicles you have. You do not need to register each vehicle separately. If you have one or more vehicles but no permanent premises, you must tell us where they are normally kept.

Certain premises do not require registration but we must still approve them. These premises are known as product specific premises and they produce products of animal origin, such as pasteurised milk, cooked meats or meat/fish based ready meals for example. If you think  your business may fall into this category, please contact us for advice and use the application form for approval of a food business establishment or to change a food premises approval.

Registering

You must register even if you are not running the business for profit

You must register with us at least 28 days before doing starting the business. We cannot refuse registration and there is no charge.

Register a food business

Your details will be kept on our register. Only the address and type of business at that address will be available to the public.
Change a food business registration

Once you have registered you must inform us if there are any changes to the ownership or nature of the business, or if the address at which a moveable premises is kept, changes.

These notes are provided for information only and should not be regarded as a complete statement of law

If you have any questions and would like someone to contact you then please fill in the online enquiry form below. We will try to contact you within three working days.

Make an enquiry