Food Safety

Food Premises - who needs to register?

If you run a food business for more than five days in any five 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. 

Please download and complete the Registration form for food premises.

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, contact Environmental Health Department at Ribble Valley Borough Council on 01200 414464

All food businesses must operate Safer Food Better Buisness document recording.  These packs are available from the food team or, on line in 16 different languages www.food.gov.uk/sfbb