Journey
Start a food business for the first time
Everything you need to do before opening a food business. Covers registration, premises, HACCP, training, allergens, labelling, and preparing for your first inspection.
Before you start trading
Every food business in the UK must be registered and meet food safety requirements before selling food to the public. This journey takes you through each requirement in the order you need to complete them.
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Register your food business
Registration is free but you must register at least 28 days before you start trading. This applies to all food businesses including home-based, mobile, and online.
Register your food business
How to register with your local authority, what information you need, and what happens after registration.
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Set up your premises
Your food premises must meet specific hygiene standards before you start trading. This includes layout, surfaces, handwashing facilities, ventilation, and pest prevention.
Set up food premises that meet hygiene standards
Layout requirements, equipment standards, handwashing facilities, ventilation, and pest control for food premises.
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Set up your food safety management system
All food businesses must have a documented food safety management system based on HACCP principles. For most small businesses, the free Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) pack from the FSA is sufficient.
Food hygiene and HACCP
Implement HACCP using SFBB, CookSafe, or MyHACCP. Covers the 7 principles and practical record keeping.
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Train your staff
Anyone handling food must be trained appropriately for their role. Formal certificates are not legally required, but competency-based training is. Level 2 Food Hygiene is the widely recognised industry standard.
Food safety training for your staff
Training requirements explained. Certificates vs competency, training levels, allergen awareness, and record keeping.
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Manage allergens and labelling
You must be able to tell customers whether your food contains any of the 14 major allergens. If you sell prepacked food made on your premises, full ingredient labelling is required under Natasha's Law.
Allergen information requirements
The 14 major allergens, how to provide allergen information, and PPDS labelling under Natasha's Law.
Food labelling requirements
Mandatory label information for prepacked food under the Food Information Regulations 2014.
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Prepare for your first inspection
After you register and start trading, an environmental health officer will visit to inspect your premises and food safety practices. Your food hygiene rating depends on this inspection.
Prepare for a food hygiene inspection
What inspectors check, documentation to prepare, common failures, and how ratings are calculated.