How to set up and register for a food business?
As soon as you start or take over a food business, you must register it with your local government. This should be completed at least 28 days before you begin trading.
In order to open a food business, you must first apply for a business license. If you’ve already started trading and haven’t registered, you need to do so as quickly as possible.
- You need to visit the website for registration.
- It’s completely free to sign up, and you can’t be turned away.
What are the types of food businesses in London that need to register?
Anyone engaged in the preparation, cooking, storage, handling, distribution, supply, or sale of food is considered to be in the food business.
All direct-to-consumer food and beverage enterprises must be registered with their local government.
In the UK, registration is required no matter where a company is located. This covers food enterprises that sell to the public in person, online, from a mobile unit or temporary location, such as a stall or a van, or by any other means of distribution that is not a brick-and-mortar location.
Here are a few examples of activities that require registration. This is not an all-inclusive list.
- restaurants, cafes, and takeaways
- making food and selling from your home
- restaurants, B&Bs, mobile catering, and temporary enterprises such as marquees and food stands are all examples of catering businesses that operate from the owner’s residence.
- nurseries, schools, and care homes
- deliver food via mail or social media channels or marketplaces, as well as distance selling and mail order.
- You can contact the Local authority for registration of the business.
