Licence - food business
Registration of premises used for a food business (including market stalls, delivery vehicles and other moveable structures) is required by the Food Premises (Registration) Regulations 1991.
Registration will allow authorities to keep an up-to-date list of all those premises in their area so they can visit them when they need to. The frequency of the visits will depend on the degree of risk involved.
Who needs to register?
If you run a food business for 5 days or more in any 5 consecutive weeks, you must tell (or arrange for someone else to tell) the local authority about any premises you use for storing, selling, distributing or preparing food. Food premises include restaurants, hotels, cafes, shops, supermarkets, staff canteens, kitchens in offices, warehouses, guest houses, delivery vehicles, buffet cars on trains, market and other stalls, hot dog and ice cream vans etc.
If you use vehicles for your food business in connection with permanent premises such as a shop or warehouse you only need to tell the local authority how many vehicles you have. You do not need to register each vehicle separately. If you have one or more vehicles but no permanent premises, you must tell the authority where they are normally kept.
Anyone starting a new food business must register with the local authority at least 28 days before doing so.
The majority of premises will have to be registered. However, certain premises are exempt from registration, e.g. some which are already registered for food law purposes, certain agricultural premises, motor cars, tents and marquees (but not stalls), some domestic premises and some village halls. You should contact your local authority if you think you might be exempt.
How do I register?
You can either download the application form (see 'forms for downloading' below) or contact the Environmental Health and Licensing Division who will send you a copy. Registration cannot be refused and there is no charge. The registration form must be returned to the Council. The address can be found in this form. If the form is sent to the wrong address your application will not take effect until it is received at the proper place. If you use premises in more than one local authority area, you must register with each authority separately.
You must tick all boxes which apply to your business, answer all the questions and give all the information requested. Seasonal businesses operating for a certain period each year should give the dates between which they will be open in answer to question 9. If you have any questions your local authority will help you. It is an offence to give information which you know is false.
What happens to the information given on the form?
- We will enter the details onto a register. A register of the name of the business (if any), the addresses, telephone number and the type of business carried on at each will be open to inspection by the general public. Records of the other information provided will not be publicly available.
Changes
Once you have registered you only need notify us of a change of proprietor or if the nature of the business changes. The new proprietor will have to complete an application form.
The entry on the register may be changed if we receive information from someone else. If this happens you will be given 28 days notice and an opportunity to comment on the proposed change.
These notes are provided for information only and should not be regarded as a complete statement of the law.