What does the law say?
1) 28 days prior to trading, all food preparation premises must be registered with the local Environmental Health Office in the area in which the unit is stored, if mobile, or in the area you pay Council Tax to, if fixed.
2) If you trade on public streets or roadsides, you will need a Street Trading Licence. You can apply for this through your local authority. 3) Get the right Legal & Tax Structure for you and your business. When setting up your new catering business, you will need to elect a business structure which best suits the needs of your business. Options include: Limited Company Limited Liability Partnership Sole Trader |
4) If you employ anyone, even if they are family, you must have valid Employer Liability Insurance, and display the certificate in the place of work.
5) All persons coming into contact with food must have hygiene training (the level of training depends on the job) to be allowed to work in the premises. As a general rule:
Level 1 Food Hygiene Training is for staff who do not have direct contact with open foods. Level 2 Food Hygiene Training is for staff who handle open foods and Level 3 Food Hygiene Training is an advanced hygiene course designed for managers, supervisors and business owners.
6) You must put into place, implement and maintain a documented Food Safety Management System based on the principles of Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points (HACCP)
7) A health & safety risk assessment must be carried out by the business proprietor at regular intervals or if the circumstances of the business change.
8) If you employ 5 persons or over you must produce a written Health & Safety Policy Document. If you employ more than 5 people you must carry out a Fire Risk Assessment.
9) By law, all food business must have separate hand and pot washing facilities. People failing to wash their hands regularly is a key cause of cross contamination and food poisoning. Subsequently, it is a legal requirement for all catering units to have appropriate hand washing facilities.
How does NCASS membership help you get legal?It might feel like you’re dealing with a minefield when it comes to complying with catering law. But when you’re an NCASS member, your worries and fears will meet relief and calm. We’ll guide you and give you everything you need – due diligence documentation, risk assessments, policies, training, contracts and more. Bid your stresses farewell and enjoy more me-time.
> Read more about the legal stuff |