Food, Drink & Hospitality UK-wide

Register 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.

Guide summary

You must register your food business with your local council at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free. After you register, you will get a food hygiene inspection and a rating from 0 to 5. You also need a food safety management system (like the Safer Food, Better Business pack) and must tell customers about the 14 main allergens.

  • Register with your local council 28 days before trading
  • Registration is free and lasts forever – tell council of changes
  • Get a food hygiene inspection and a rating (0 to 5)
  • Keep chilled food at 8°C or below (5°C recommended)
  • Cook food to 70°C for 2 minutes (or equivalent)
  • Tell customers about the 14 main allergens in your food
  • Use the Safer Food, Better Business pack for food safety rules
  • Separate food registration from alcohol premises licence
  • Prepare for an inspection within weeks of opening
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Before you can sell food to the public, you must register your food business with your local authority. This applies whether you're opening a restaurant, selling from a market stall, running a home bakery, or delivering meals.

Registration is free, but you must register at least 28 days before you start trading. Once registered, you'll receive a food hygiene inspection and be given a rating from 0 to 5.

Legal framework

Food safety in the UK is governed by the Food Safety Act 1990 and associated regulations:

What counts as a food business?

If you regularly prepare, sell, or distribute food to the public, you're running a food business. This includes:

  • Restaurants, cafes, and takeaways
  • Pubs and hotels serving food
  • Mobile caterers and street food vendors
  • Home-based food businesses
  • Online food sellers
  • Childminders providing meals
  • Community groups selling food regularly

Occasional events like charity bake sales may be exempt, but regular sales require registration.

How to register your food business

  1. 1

    Find your local authority

    Registration is with your local council, not central government. Find your council at gov.uk using your postcode.

  2. 2

    Complete the registration form

    Most councils offer online registration. You'll need: business name and address, your name as proprietor, type of food activities, trading name if different.

  3. 3

    Submit at least 28 days before opening

    This gives environmental health time to process your registration and plan an initial inspection. Late registration is an offence.

  4. 4

    Receive acknowledgement

    Your council will confirm registration. Note: you don't get a certificate - just an acknowledgement.

  5. 5

    Prepare for inspection

    An environmental health officer will visit to assess your food hygiene standards. This usually happens within weeks of opening.

Food safety management

All food businesses must have a food safety management system based on HACCP principles. For small businesses, the Food Standards Agency provides a free pack:

Implementing HACCP in your business

Follow these steps to set up your food safety management system:

Temperature control

Temperature control is critical for food safety. Bacteria multiply rapidly in the 'danger zone' between 8°C and 63°C:

Allergen information

You must be able to tell customers whether your food contains any of the 14 major allergens. For prepacked food sold directly (like sandwiches made on premises), full ingredient labelling is required under Natasha's Law:

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

After inspection, you'll receive a food hygiene rating from 0 to 5. This rating is published online and tells customers how well you meet food hygiene requirements:

Improving your rating: If you receive a rating below 5, you can request a re-rating visit after making improvements. The rules, fees and timing differ between England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so check the current scheme guidance for your nation before applying.

Display requirements: In Wales and Northern Ireland, you must display your rating. In England, display is encouraged but not mandatory. Most customers expect to see a rating displayed.

Appealing your rating

If you believe your rating is incorrect, you have the right to appeal:

Record keeping requirements

All food businesses must maintain records as part of their HACCP-based food safety management system:

Staff training

Food handlers must be trained appropriately for their role:

Enforcement and penalties

Environmental health officers have wide powers to ensure food safety. Non-compliance can result in serious consequences:

Common questions

Do I need registration if I work from home? Yes. Home-based food businesses must register just like commercial premises. Your council may need to inspect your kitchen.

What about selling at markets? Register with your home local authority. You may also need a street trading licence from the council where you trade.

Do I need specific qualifications? No formal qualifications are legally required to run a food business, but training is expected. Level 2 Food Hygiene is the industry standard for food handlers.

How often are inspections? Inspection frequency depends on your risk rating. Higher-risk businesses are inspected more frequently - potentially every 6 months. Lower-risk businesses might go 2-3 years between inspections.