Guide
Set 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 FSA approval.
Before you open a food business, your premises must meet the hygiene standards set out in Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Annex II. This applies to all food premises in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, whether you are setting up a restaurant, takeaway, bakery, food production unit, or home kitchen.
Your local authority environmental health officer will inspect your premises before or shortly after you open, and your layout and facilities directly affect your food hygiene rating. Getting these right from the start avoids costly refurbishment later.
This guide covers the physical requirements your premises must meet. It does not cover food safety management systems (HACCP) or food hygiene training, which are covered in separate guides.
Legal requirements for food premises
Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Annex II sets out detailed requirements for food premises. These are minimum standards, not aspirational targets. Your environmental health officer will check compliance during inspections, and failure to meet them can result in improvement notices, prohibition orders, or closure.
How to set up your premises
Work through these steps before you begin trading. If you are fitting out new premises, address each area during the design phase. If you are adapting existing premises, prioritise the items that your environmental health officer is most likely to act on: handwashing, surface condition, and separation of raw and ready-to-eat food.
-
1. Plan your layout for workflow separation
Design your premises so that food flows in one direction from delivery to service, without raw and ready-to-eat food crossing paths. Separate areas are ideal, but if space is limited you must have clear procedures and physical barriers to prevent cross-contamination. Keep waste routes away from food preparation areas.
-
2. Install compliant floors, walls, and ceilings
Floors must be non-absorbent, washable, and non-toxic. Smooth, sealed vinyl or quarry tiles are common choices. Walls must be smooth, impervious, and washable to an adequate height. Food-grade wall cladding or ceramic tiles with sealed grout are typical solutions. Ceilings must prevent dirt accumulation and reduce condensation.
-
3. Choose food-contact surfaces and equipment
All surfaces that come into contact with food must be smooth, washable, corrosion-resistant, and non-toxic. Stainless steel is the standard for worktops, shelving, and equipment. Equipment should be easy to disassemble for cleaning.
-
4. Install separate handwashing facilities
You must provide handwash basins separate from sinks used for food preparation or washing equipment. Each handwash basin needs hot and cold running water, liquid soap, and hygienic hand drying (disposable paper towels or an air dryer, not shared cloth towels).
-
5. Set up adequate ventilation
Provide adequate natural or mechanical ventilation to prevent excessive heat, steam, condensation, and odours. Cooking areas typically need mechanical extraction (a canopy hood with grease filters) over hobs, fryers, and ovens.
-
6. Ensure adequate lighting
Install sufficient natural or artificial lighting in all food rooms. Use shatterproof light covers or bulbs in food preparation areas to prevent glass contamination if a bulb breaks.
-
7. Provide toilet and changing facilities
Toilets must not open directly into rooms where food is handled. Provide a ventilated lobby, corridor, or two self-closing doors between toilets and food rooms. Toilet areas need their own handwash basins.
-
8. Organise storage areas
Provide separate storage for food, packaging materials, and cleaning chemicals. Food storage must keep items off the floor and maintain adequate temperature control. Store raw and ready-to-eat food separately. Cleaning chemicals must be stored in a locked or designated cupboard away from food.
-
9. Set up waste disposal
Provide adequate waste containers with lids in food preparation areas. Empty bins regularly to prevent accumulation and pest attraction. You will need a contract with an authorised waste carrier for trade waste collection.
-
10. Address pest control
Proof your premises against pests before opening. Seal gaps around pipes, doors, and windows. Fit mesh screens to windows that open, and self-closing mechanisms or strip curtains to external doors. Consider a pest control contract.
Home-based food businesses
If you are running a food business from home, the same legal standards apply but your environmental health officer will assess them proportionately. Key points for home kitchens:
- Separation from domestic use: You do not need a separate kitchen, but you must demonstrate that domestic activities do not contaminate food.
- Handwashing: Your kitchen sink can serve as both food preparation and handwashing if it has hot and cold running water, soap, and hygienic drying.
- Storage: Keep business food ingredients and packaging separate from household food.
- Pets: Keep pets out of the kitchen during food preparation. Clean surfaces thoroughly if pets have access at other times.
When you need approved establishment status
Most food businesses only need to register with their local authority. However, if you handle, process, or store products of animal origin for supply to other food businesses rather than selling directly to the final consumer, you need formal approval from the Food Standards Agency.
Practical tips for meeting standards on a budget
- Prioritise surfaces: Food-grade wall cladding (PVC hygienic panels) is cheaper than tiles and easier to keep clean.
- Second-hand equipment: Stainless steel tables and shelving from catering equipment suppliers cost a fraction of new prices.
- DIY pest proofing: Seal gaps with steel wool and expanding foam before fitting out.
- Ventilation planning: Installing extraction during fit-out is far cheaper than retrofitting.
- Talk to your environmental health officer early: Many local authorities offer pre-opening advice visits at no charge.