Hygiene Assist Consultants, Starting a Business

Starting a new business?

When starting a new food business it is very important to get things right at the start because it will make it much easier for you to run your business well in the future. You must register your premises with the environmental health service at your local authority at least 28 days before opening – registration is free.

Who needs to register?

Registration applies to most types of food business, including catering businesses run from home and mobile or temporary premises, such as stalls and vans. If you use two or more premises, you will need to register all of them.

If food premises are used by several catering businesses (for example, a village hall or conference centre), the person who allows the premises to be used for this purpose is responsible for registering them.

How can you register?

Registration is simple. You can download a registration application form from some local authority websites, which can be completed and emailed, faxed or posted to the food team in the environmental health department. Other local authorities offer online registration, where an electronic form can be completed and submitted online.

A model application form has been produced by the Agency. The form, which can be found at the link below, can completed by you and sent to the food team of your local authority's environmental health department.

Contact your local authority to find out how you can register. To find the contact details of your nearest local authority you could use our online search facility .

What else do you need to do?

Before opening, get in touch with your local authority to plan your business, organise waste and recycling collection and get appropriate training and tools – it could cost you more money if you don’t. It makes good business sense to serve food that is safe 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 Valued 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 food between 11pm and 5am.

Below is a checklist of these and other issues you need to consider.

Checklist for starting up

• Have you registered your premises?
• Do the design and construction of your premises meet legal requirement?
• 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 principles 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 drink late at night, or selling food on the street?

More information available here.