Before you jump straight into whipping up bao buns and brisket, you must first make sure you register your business.
It is a legal requirement to register at least 28 days before you plan to start trading.
If you need help registering your business you can call our team on 0300 124 6866
Getting 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.
Limited Company
Limited Liability Partnership
Partnership
Sole Trader
Make certain that you opt for the best structure for your business by visiting the Central Government website and considering both the advantages and pitfalls of each structure. Once you have decided on the option most relevant, you must also register with HMRC and set up a Book Keeping System. Find out more here.
If you trade on public streets or roadsides, you will require a Street Trading Licence.
If you are selling alcohol or providing ‘licensable activities’ you will need a Premises Licence.
If you’re not sure whether you need a Street Trading Licence or how to apply for Premises Licence, contact us via [email protected]
All food businesses must have a Food Safety Risk Assessment based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points) principles.
NCASS membership gives you access to a comprehensive online risk assessment tool that allows you to create Food Safety, Health & Safety, COSSH, and Fire Safety risk assessments.
NCASS provides a service to assist you with the creation of your risk assessments, which forms part of the Safety Management System (paper and digital version) that all members receive upon joining.
If you would like to talk with one of our expert team about your risk assessments call us on 0300 124 6866 or request a call back today.
If you’re not an NCASS member, click here to find out more info about joining us.
To ensure your team is operating safely, legally and effectively, all of the staff members within your business must receive training.
We recommend that a business owner and / or chef(s) should be trained to Level 3 in food hygiene and anyone handling food is trained to Level 2 in food hygiene as a minimum.
Training is fundamental to running a safe business, NCASS members get heavily discounted rates on training.
If you’re unsure as to what training you and your staff require, you can read more on training requirements here.
All food businesses must have Liability Insurance and this should cover Public, Product & Employers Liability. These products usually come combined into one package.
If you do not consider yourself an ’employer’ you can remove this cover, however, we would not recommend it as anyone helping you out for the day or delivering goods or services to you may fall under this category.
It’s crucial that you are insured with adequate protection covers. You need to know that if times ever get tricky, it’s not curtains for your business. We recommend that you speak to the experts – you can find out more about our insurance partner here.
All gas equipment which is used for catering purposes must be installed, inspected and tested annually by a gas safe engineer. This is a legal requirement and applies to ALL businesses that use LPG.
Engineers need to be qualified in Mobile Catering & LPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas / bottled Gas). They will inspect your equipment and issue you with a certificate if your equipment is safe and legal to use in line with the most up to date Code of Practice.
New trailers and equipment should come with safety certification, however, if you are working on a gazebo or market stall, you will also need to ensure that your gas set up and equipment is tested.
Particular care must be taken in the choice of piping and regulators following COP24 guidance.
NCASS members are allocated a properly qualified gas engineer when they join, we have a LPG safety forum and we have a LPG Safety training course that we recommend you take if you use LPG.
All food businesses have a responsibility, by law, to ensure that the food that they prepare and sell is safe to eat.
Our Safety Management System has been developed to assist food and drink businesses to comply with, and exceed the operational / technical requirements for Food Safety and Hygiene, Health and Safety (H&S) and Fire Safety.
Following the processes set out in our system is the most efficient way to regulate Food Safety and Health & Safety within your business. We’ve also taken the elements of our Safety Management System and combined them to make an easy to use, convenient and flexible digital safety management system that you can access via your phone, tablet or laptop.
The NCASS Safety Management System has been approved by a government body as part of our Primary Authority Partnership – this means that it’s Assured Advice and Guidance.
To find out more about our systems and processes, speak to a member of our team on 0300 124 6866
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. It is a legal requirement for all catering units to have appropriate hand washing facilities.
Anti Bacterial Gel is not accepted by Environmental Health Officers as an appropriate method of cleaning hands.
If you need a mobile handwashing solution for your business or would like to discuss your requirements you can speak to our partners at Teal for mobile handwashing units or Nisbets for all other equipment.
If you are unsure about whether your handwashing set up is correct, please get in touch with us on 0300 124 6866. Having the right set up is fundamental to food safety and should not be overlooked.
In this guide, we cover all the things you need to get in place
if you are starting a new food business.
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