Business guidance
Rules, requirements and how-tos for running your business — organised by topic, with industry-specific guidance on the sector pages.
Guidance for food, drink & hospitality
Show all guidanceAccommodation regulations for hotels, B&Bs, and short-term lets
Comprehensive guide to UK accommodation regulation covering tourist accommodation registration, short-term lets rules, fire safety for sleeping accommodation, HMO licensing, VAT on accommodation, and legionella risk management. Includes devolved differences for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Retail & Consumer GoodsAlcohol licensing in Northern Ireland
How alcohol licensing works in Northern Ireland — court-granted licences, 5-year renewal, 13 licence categories, permitted hours, and the role of PSNI.
Retail & Consumer GoodsAlcohol licensing in Northern Ireland: court-granted licences
How Northern Ireland's court-based alcohol licensing system works, including the 13 licence categories, 5-year renewal requirement, the role of the PSNI, the surrender principle, permitted hours, and how the system differs from England, Wales, and Scotland.
Retail & Consumer GoodsAlcohol licensing in Scotland
How alcohol licensing works in Scotland under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 — five licensing objectives, Licensing Boards, premises and personal licences, occasional licences, overprovision, and minimum unit pricing.
Retail & Consumer GoodsAlcohol licensing requirements
How to obtain a premises licence to sell alcohol in England and Wales, including application process, fees, designated premises supervisor requirements, and licensing objectives.
Retail & Consumer GoodsAllergen control systems and Natasha's Law
Implement comprehensive allergen management systems and comply with Natasha's Law PPDS labelling requirements.
Food, Drink & HospitalityAllergen information requirements
Provide clear allergen information for all food you sell.
Food, Drink & HospitalityAppeal your food hygiene rating or request a re-rating in Wales
If you disagree with your food hygiene rating in Wales, you can appeal within 21 days, submit a right of reply, or request a re-rating visit after making improvements. This guide explains each option, the deadlines you must meet, and what fees apply.
Food, Drink & HospitalityApply for a club premises certificate
How qualifying clubs (social clubs, sports clubs, working men's clubs) can apply for a certificate to supply alcohol to members without needing a DPS or personal licence holder.
Food, Drink & HospitalityApply for an alcohol premises licence in Scotland
Step-by-step guide to obtaining a premises licence under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, including operating plans, Licensing Board applications, and premises managers.
Food, Drink & HospitalityBrewery licensing and compliance
Complete licensing, registration, and duty requirements for operating a brewery in the UK, including APPA registration, food safety, premises licensing, and alcohol duty obligations.
Food, Drink & HospitalityCommercial kitchen safety: gas, ventilation, and legionella
Gas safety obligations, ventilation and extraction requirements, interlock systems, and legionella risk management for hospitality premises with commercial kitchens and water systems.
Food, Drink & HospitalityCommercial waste management for hospitality businesses
How to manage commercial waste from hospitality premises including duty of care obligations, using registered waste carriers, cooking oil disposal, food waste separation under Simpler Recycling, and trade effluent consent for kitchen waste.
Food, Drink & HospitalityComply with mandatory food hygiene rating display in Wales
Wales is one of only two UK nations where displaying your food hygiene rating is a legal requirement. This guide explains how to comply with the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013, including where to display your sticker, your duty to provide rating information on request, what happens if you do not display, and what to do if you disagree with your rating.
Food, Drink & HospitalityComply with tipping law in hospitality
How to comply with the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 as a hospitality employer. Covers fair distribution rules, written policies, tronc schemes, VAT treatment, and the upcoming October 2026 consultation requirements.
Food, Drink & HospitalityControl food temperatures safely
Keep food at safe temperatures throughout storage, cooking, holding, cooling, and reheating to prevent harmful bacterial growth and comply with food hygiene law.
Food, Drink & HospitalityConvert farm buildings to holiday accommodation
How to get planning permission, meet building regulations, and understand the post-April 2025 tax treatment when converting agricultural buildings to holiday lets. Covers Class Q permitted development, fire safety requirements, and the impact of FHL tax regime abolition on farm diversification.
Food, Drink & HospitalityData protection and CCTV for hospitality businesses
How to comply with UK GDPR and PECR in hospitality, covering CCTV use, guest booking data, wifi login data, loyalty programmes, marketing consent, and handling subject access requests.
Retail & Consumer GoodsDoing business in Northern Ireland: key differences from Great Britain
Comprehensive reference of the key regulatory divergences between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. Covers employment law, equality legislation, planning, business rates, health and safety, product standards, alcohol licensing, fire safety, and the Windsor Framework dual regulatory regime.
Food, Drink & HospitalityEmployment law for hospitality businesses
Tips and service charge distribution, DBS checks for staff working with children, workplace pensions, and employment law considerations specific to hospitality sector employers.
Food, Drink & HospitalityEnvironmental permits for food businesses in Wales
How to identify and apply for the environmental permits your food business needs from Natural Resources Wales (NRW). Covers trade effluent consent, water abstraction, smoke and odour controls, food waste treatment permits, and packaging waste obligations. NRW is the principal environmental regulator in Wales — do not apply to the Environment Agency.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFHL tax regime abolition - what's changed
Summary of the furnished holiday lettings tax regime abolition from April 2025, including the tax advantages removed, transitional arrangements, and what to do now.
Retail & Consumer GoodsFood and drink business licensing and compliance
Navigate the complete range of licences, registrations, certifications, and consents required for food and drink businesses across production, sales, export, and environmental compliance.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood and drink manufacturer: compliance checklist
Use this checklist to confirm your food or drink manufacturing business meets its obligations before a production run. Work through the universal items every manufacturer shares, then the product-specific sections for animal-origin products, alcohol, soft drinks, contaminant-risk food and animal feed. If you answer no to any item, follow the linked guide before you proceed.
Retail & Consumer GoodsFood and drink regulations and traceability
Comply with HFSS labelling, traceability requirements, alcohol duty obligations, packaging regulations, waste disposal, and animal by-products rules.
Retail & Consumer GoodsFood business registration
Register your food business with your local authority before starting operations.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood business support and grants in Wales
Welsh Government food business support and grants — Business Wales, Food Innovation Wales, Cywain, Farming Connect, Development Bank of Wales, and protected food names.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood handler training requirements
Legal training requirements for food handlers - training is mandatory, but certificates are not. Understanding the competency-based approach and debunking the certificate myth.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood hygiene and HACCP
Implement food safety management procedures based on HACCP principles.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood Hygiene Rating Scheme
Understand the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and display your rating.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood Information Regulations 2014 compliance
Comply with mandatory food labelling and information requirements under UK and assimilated EU law.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood labelling requirements
Label prepacked food correctly with all mandatory information.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood safety and hygiene requirements
HACCP-based food safety management systems, allergen labelling requirements including Natasha's Law, and food business registration for hospitality operators in the UK.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood safety compliance checklist
Quick verification checklist for food business operators. Covers registration, HACCP, temperature control, allergens, training, record keeping, and premises hygiene.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood safety management systems and HACCP
Implement HACCP-based food safety management procedures and comply with food hygiene regulations.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood safety requirements in Scotland
How food safety regulation differs in Scotland. Covers Food Standards Scotland, CookSafe, the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, and key legislative differences that affect Scottish food businesses.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood safety training for your staff
Food hygiene certificates are not a legal requirement -- UK law requires competency, not certificates. This guide explains what training your food handlers actually need, available course levels, and how to demonstrate compliance during inspections.
Retail & Consumer GoodsFood traceability, withdrawal, and recall
Maintain food traceability records using the one step back, one step forward principle, and follow the correct procedures if you need to withdraw or recall unsafe food.
Food, Drink & HospitalityFood waste management
Comply with food waste segregation and disposal duties.
Retail & Consumer GoodsGet a personal licence to sell alcohol in Scotland
How to obtain a Scottish personal licence under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, including the SCPLH qualification, Disclosure Scotland check, application process, fees, renewal, and refresher training requirements.
Retail & Consumer GoodsGet approved and pay duty as an alcohol producer: beer, spirits, wine and cider
If you brew beer, distil spirits, make wine or cider, ferment other products or malt grain, you must hold an HMRC Alcoholic Products Producer Approval (APPA) before you start producing. This guide walks you through getting approved, submitting duty returns, registering as a wholesaler, claiming Small Producer Relief, protecting a geographical indication, licensing a taproom and controlling grain dust in malting.
Food, Drink & HospitalityGet approved food establishment status in Wales
How to apply for approved establishment status through FSA Wales for businesses processing meat, dairy, fish, or egg products. Covers the application process, local authority and FSA Wales roles, premises requirements, conditional approval, identification marks, and ongoing compliance obligations under Regulation (EC) 853/2004.
Food, Drink & HospitalityGet a short-term lets licence in Scotland
Complete guide to Scotland's mandatory short-term lets licensing scheme including licence types, mandatory conditions, and application process.
Food, Drink & HospitalityGet authorisation for a water activity in Scotland (EASR)
How to get authorisation for any activity affecting surface water or groundwater in Scotland — abstraction, impoundment, engineering in or near a water body, and discharges. Since 1 November 2025 water activities are authorised under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR), which replaced the Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR 2011) framework. Covers the four-tier authorisation system (General Binding Rules, notification, registration, permit), pre-application advice, fees, and enforcement, all administered by SEPA.
Food, Drink & HospitalityGet your animal-origin establishment approved: meat, poultry, fish and dairy
If you make products of animal origin — meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or dairy — you need establishment approval before you trade, not just food business registration. This guide takes you through getting each establishment approved, meeting animal-welfare competence at slaughter, handling animal by-products, and embedding product-specific safety controls.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHealth, safety and fire requirements for hospitality venues
Health and Safety at Work Act compliance, fire safety risk assessments, and fire and rescue authority audits for hospitality premises including hotels, restaurants, pubs and venues with sleeping accommodation.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHoliday let food hygiene, employment and insurance
Food hygiene, employment law, insurance, and environmental duties for self-catering holiday accommodation. Covers food business registration, allergens, food hygiene ratings by nation, right to work checks, tips allocation, employer liability, and guest protection obligations.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHoliday let licensing and registration by nation
Licensing and registration requirements for self-catering holiday accommodation across the UK. Covers Scotland's mandatory short-term let licence, Wales's registration scheme from October 2026, England's planned registration, and planning rules including the London 90-night limit.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHoliday let safety requirements and compliance
Health and safety requirements for self-catering holiday accommodation. Covers fire safety, gas safety, electrical safety, legionella prevention, risk assessment, record keeping, and building a compliance pack for inspections.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHoliday let tax obligations and business rates
Tax obligations and business rates for self-catering holiday accommodation from April 2025. Covers the FHL regime abolition, capital gains tax on sale, business rates eligibility in England and Wales, and VAT on holiday accommodation.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHospitality annual compliance checklist
Annual compliance checklist for hospitality businesses covering all key regulatory obligations: licence renewals, fire safety reviews, food safety system updates, gas safety checks, insurance renewals, tipping policy reviews, waste management, and music licensing.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHospitality sector market overview
Market size, growth trends, investment opportunities, and key statistics for the UK hospitality sector including employment, business counts, and economic contribution.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHost weddings and events on your farm
How to set up and run a farm wedding or event venue. Covers planning permission, licensing, fire safety, insurance, and food safety requirements for converting agricultural buildings to event spaces.
Food, Drink & HospitalityHow food safety enforcement works in Wales
How food safety is enforced in Wales, including the role of the Food Standards Agency Wales and local authority environmental health officers. Covers risk-based inspections, improvement notices, prohibition orders, prosecution, and Food Hygiene Rating Scheme enforcement powers.
Food, Drink & HospitalityLate Night Levy for licensed premises
Understanding the Late Night Levy for alcohol premises trading between midnight and 6am, including rates by rateable value, available reductions, and how it interacts with EMROs and Cumulative Impact Policies. England and Wales only.
Retail & Consumer GoodsLate night refreshment licence
Understand when you need authorisation to supply hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am. Covers what counts as late night refreshment, exemptions, local authority deregulation powers, the application process, and devolved nation differences.
Food, Drink & HospitalityMake soft drinks and bottled water: levy, recognition and water abstraction
If you make soft drinks or bottle natural mineral water, spring water or bottled drinking water, you face three obligations on top of the universal food-safety duties: the Soft Drinks Industry Levy on added-sugar drinks, formal recognition before you can market a product as natural mineral water, and a water abstraction licence if you take water from your own source. This guide takes you through each in turn.
Food, Drink & HospitalityManage access land and SSSIs on your property
Understand your obligations as a landowner of open access land or Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). Covers right to roam, reduced liability, temporary closures, SSSI consent requirements, and penalties for non-compliance.
Food, Drink & HospitalityManage food waste in Wales: mandatory separation rules for food businesses
How to comply with Wales mandatory food waste separation requirements under the Waste Separation Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2023. Covers the 5kg per week threshold, separate collection duties, approved containers, and NRW enforcement.
Food, Drink & HospitalityManaging noise from hospitality premises
How to prevent and manage noise complaints from hospitality premises including statutory nuisance law, planning conditions, licensing conditions, soundproofing options, and the Agent of Change principle.
Food, Drink & HospitalityMeet food composition, contaminant and labelling controls
If you make processed food — bread, biscuits, confectionery, cocoa products, edible oils, coffee, spices, prepared meals or processed fruit and vegetables — you must keep contaminants and pesticide residues within legal limits and control the contaminants that form during processing. This guide takes you through monitoring contaminants and residues, getting novel foods and additives authorised, and meeting the special rules for infant formula and food for special medical purposes.
Retail & Consumer GoodsMinimum unit pricing compliance for alcohol retailers
How to calculate and apply minimum unit pricing for alcohol sales in Scotland, including enforcement and penalties.
Food, Drink & HospitalityMusic and entertainment licensing
TheMusicLicence requirements for playing background music, hosting live performances, and DJ events in hospitality venues including costs, what's covered, and how to comply with PPL PRS.
Food, Drink & HospitalityNational Minimum Wage, tips, and pay compliance in hospitality
How to ensure NMW compliance in hospitality, covering the accommodation offset, why tips cannot count towards minimum wage, unpaid trial shift rules, uniform deductions, and avoiding HMRC naming and shaming.
Retail & Consumer GoodsNorthern Ireland business compliance checklist
A quick compliance checklist for businesses operating in Northern Ireland. Covers NI-specific obligations including fair employment monitoring, HSENI registration, fire safety, business rates, and other requirements that differ from Great Britain.
Food, Drink & HospitalityNovel foods authorisation in Great Britain
How to determine whether your food product requires novel food authorisation in Great Britain, and how to apply. Covers the definition of novel food, the FSA authorisation process, safety assessment by the ACNFP, application requirements, timeline expectations, and differences for Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Food, Drink & HospitalityOperating in a short-term let control area
Additional planning requirements in designated short-term let control areas in Scotland, including Edinburgh and parts of Highland.
Food, Drink & HospitalityOutdoor trading and pavement licensing for hospitality
Pavement licences for outdoor seating, A-board permits, and requirements for placing tables, chairs and signage on public highways for pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Food, Drink & HospitalityPersonal licence (alcohol)
Obtain a personal licence to authorise and supervise alcohol sales in England and Wales. Covers the accredited qualification, DBS checks, application process, and your ongoing responsibilities as a personal licence holder.
Retail & Consumer GoodsPremises licence (alcohol)
Apply for a premises licence to sell or supply alcohol from your business in England and Wales. Covers the application process, fees, the four licensing objectives, mandatory conditions, and what happens after you receive your licence.
Food, Drink & HospitalityPrepare for a food hygiene inspection
Use this checklist to prepare your food business for an environmental health inspection. Covers the three areas inspectors score, documentation you need ready, common failures, and what happens after the inspection.
Food, Drink & HospitalityPrepare for Scotland's visitor levy
What accommodation providers in Scotland need to know about the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, including Edinburgh's scheme starting July 2026.
Food, Drink & HospitalityPubs Code for tied tenants
Your rights as a tied pub tenant under the Pubs Code. Covers Market Rent Only (MRO) option, rent assessment process, regulated pub companies, and how to raise disputes with the Pubs Code Adjudicator.
Retail & Consumer GoodsRegister a food business in Wales
How to register a food business with one of the 22 Welsh local authorities. Covers the Welsh-specific registration process, bilingual forms, what happens after registration, and key differences from the England registration system.
Retail & Consumer GoodsRegister and run a food business
How to register your food business with your local authority, meet food hygiene requirements, and achieve a good food hygiene rating. Essential compliance for all food businesses including home-based and mobile.
Food, Drink & HospitalityRegister and run a safe food and drink manufacturing business
The universal spine for food and drink manufacturers: the duties every site carries whatever it makes. It covers registering your food business, putting a HACCP-based food safety system in place, the hygiene rating inspection, allergen labelling, protecting your workers from hazards including flour and grain dust, employers' liability insurance, and your site's environmental, trade-effluent and packaging duties.
Retail & Consumer GoodsRegister as an alcohol wholesaler (AWRS)
If you sell alcohol to other businesses, you must register under the Alcohol Wholesaler Registration Scheme (AWRS) with HMRC. Learn who needs to register, how to apply, and due diligence obligations.
Food, Drink & HospitalityRegister your visitor accommodation in Wales
Step-by-step guide to registering visitor accommodation with the Welsh Revenue Authority from 1 October 2026, as required by the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025.
Food, Drink & HospitalityRight to work checks for hospitality employers
Step-by-step guide to conducting right to work checks for hospitality staff, including the three-step process, online checking service, repeat checks for time-limited permission, and avoiding civil penalties of up to 60,000 pounds per illegal worker.
Food, Drink & HospitalityRun a campsite, caravan site or holiday park
Outdoor accommodation runs on a site licence from the local authority, then layers of safety duties that scale with what you offer — pitch electrics, private water supplies, pools and waterslides, and adventure activities for under-18s each bring their own regime. This guide covers the site itself; food, alcohol and employment route onward.
Food, Drink & HospitalityRun a hotel, B&B or guest house
Serviced accommodation carries duties most other businesses never meet — strict liability for guests' property under the Hotel Proprietors Act 1956, a legal duty to keep records of every guest aged 16 or over, and premises safety obligations that are stricter wherever people sleep. This guide covers the duties that attach to letting rooms, and routes onward for food, alcohol and employment.
Food, Drink & HospitalityRun an animal feed or pet food business: APHA registration, additives and feed controls
Making animal feed or pet food is regulated separately from human food. You register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) as a feed business operator, use only authorised feed additives at permitted levels, control the ruminant feed ban and other TSE cross-contamination risks, register your establishment for animal by-products if you use them, and label feed and pet food to its own statutory rules.
Food, Drink & HospitalityRunning an Airbnb in Scotland legally
Plain-English guide for new short-term let hosts covering all the legal requirements for running an Airbnb or holiday let in Scotland, including the mandatory licensing scheme, safety conditions, fees, planning, and penalties.
Retail & Consumer GoodsSelling food online: labelling and safety requirements
Comply with distance selling rules when selling food online, including providing mandatory food information before purchase, allergen labelling at two points, and maintaining safe delivery temperatures.
Food, Drink & HospitalitySet up camping or glamping on your farm
How to comply with planning permission, licensing, and safety requirements when offering camping or glamping on agricultural land. Covers the 60-day exemption, caravan site licensing, and glamping-specific regulations.
Food, Drink & HospitalitySet up food premises that meet hygiene standards
How to set up food premises that meet the legal hygiene standards under Regulation (EC) 852/2004. Covers layout, surfaces, ventilation, handwashing, storage, pest control, and when you need approved establishment status.
Food, Drink & HospitalitySpecialist hospitality licences and permissions
Gaming machines, civil wedding venues, tourist accommodation registration, HMO licensing and other specialist permissions for hospitality businesses with specific activities or business models.
Food, Drink & HospitalityStarting a food business in Wales: what you need to know
Overview of what makes starting a food business in Wales different from the rest of the UK. Covers the mandatory Food Hygiene Rating Scheme display requirement, Welsh local authority registration, food waste separation obligations, and Welsh Government support programmes available to new food businesses.
Food, Drink & HospitalityTemporary Event Notice (TEN)
Give a Temporary Event Notice to your local authority to carry out licensable activities at a temporary event. Covers eligibility limits, the notice process, police and environmental health objections, and late TENs.
Food, Drink & HospitalityVAT for hospitality businesses
Understanding VAT rules for restaurants, cafes, pubs, hotels, and other hospitality businesses. Covers food and drink VAT rates, the hot food test, premises facilities, accommodation, tips and service charges, and staff meals.
Food, Drink & HospitalityWales food business compliance checklist
Quick verification checklist for Wales-specific food business obligations. Covers local authority registration, mandatory food hygiene rating display, food waste separation, Natural Resources Wales permits, and Welsh language best practice.
Food, Drink & HospitalityWales Visitor Levy: what accommodation providers need to know
How the Wales Visitor Levy works, including who it applies to, rates, exemptions, and how to collect and remit it. Councils can choose to adopt the levy from April 2027.
Food, Drink & HospitalityWhich food and drink manufacturing regulations apply to your business
Every food and drink manufacturer starts the same way: register the food business with the local authority and prepare for a hygiene-rating inspection. After that the rules diverge sharply by what you make.
Food, Drink & HospitalityWhich hospitality rules apply to your business
Hospitality is regulated by what you serve and where guests sleep. Serving food brings registration and hygiene duties. Selling alcohol needs premises and personal licences. Offering beds brings fire, gas and guest-records duties that scale from a single B&B room to a holiday park. Work out which parts of the industry you operate in below, then follow the matching guidance.
Food, Drink & HospitalityWorking time and rest breaks in hospitality
Working Time Regulations explained for hospitality employers including maximum hours, rest break entitlements, split shift rules, night work limits, young worker protections, and the 48-hour opt-out.
General rules
Common requirements shown separately from guidance directly classified to this sector.
Check if you need to register for VAT
Find out if your business must register for VAT based on your taxable turnover. Covers the £90,000 threshold, what counts as taxable turnover, the rolling 12-month test, and when voluntary registration makes sense.
Business StructureMandatory registrations every business must complete
Step-by-step guide to the registrations every business must complete before trading, regardless of sector. Covers HMRC tax registration, ICO data protection fee, mandatory insurance, and pension auto-enrolment.
Premises & OperationsMeet your business waste duty of care
Understand your legal responsibilities when producing, storing, or disposing of business waste. Covers using registered waste carriers, completing waste transfer notes, and the stricter rules for hazardous waste.
Compliance & LegalPre-trading compliance checklist
A concise yes/no checklist to verify you have completed all mandatory pre-trading requirements, including business registration, tax, insurance, licences, premises approvals, and data protection.
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