Compliance Agent · Food & hospitality
The UK food business compliance checklist.
Food and hospitality compliance runs through your local authority rather than a single national register: registration, inspection, your hygiene rating and most enforcement all happen at council level, with the Food Standards Agency setting the framework.
Here is what a café, restaurant, takeaway or food producer in England typically has to have in place, from before the doors open to the day the inspector walks in.
At a glance
What the Compliance Agent tracks for food & hospitality.
Food & hospitality
LA registration · HACCP- Legally required: Register with your local authority at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free and cannot be refused.
- Legally required: You must run a written food safety management system based on HACCP principles.
- Legally required: Since October 2021 (Natasha’s Law), food prepacked for direct sale needs a full ingredient list with the 14 regulated allergens emphasised.
- Scheme or industry-expected: Your Food Hygiene Rating follows inspection, and customers increasingly check it before they visit.
The checklist in depth
Before you open: registration and licences
Register your food business with the local authority at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free and cannot be refused, which is exactly why skipping it looks so bad: there is no barrier, so an unregistered business reads as one that never engaged with the system at all.
Selling alcohol adds a second, separate regime under the Licensing Act 2003: the premises needs a premises licence, alcohol sales must be made by or under the authority of a personal licence holder, and the premises licence must name a designated premises supervisor who holds a personal licence.
Day to day: HACCP and training
Every food business must run a written food safety management system based on HACCP principles: identifying where things can go wrong, and what you do about it. For small businesses the FSA publishes ready-made packs (Safer Food, Better Business) that satisfy this without a consultant.
On training, the law is more subtle than most people think: no certificate is legally required, but food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene appropriate to their role. A course certificate is the easiest evidence, but the duty is the training, not the paper.
Allergens: the rule that changed in 2021
Since October 2021, under Natasha’s Law, food prepacked for direct sale needs a full ingredient list with the 14 regulated allergens emphasised. That catches the grab-and-go fridge: sandwiches, salads and wraps made on site and packed before order. For food sold loose or made to order, allergen information for the 14 allergens must still be available to the customer.
Inspection and your rating
Your Food Hygiene Rating follows the local authority’s inspection. Displaying the sticker is legally required in Wales and Northern Ireland; in England display is voluntary, but customers and delivery platforms check ratings anyway, so a low score costs trade whether or not it is on the door.
The most common gaps we see: registering late or not at all, a food safety management system that exists but was never written down, and prepacked-for-direct-sale items missing full ingredient labels.
These examples are typical for England and are a summary, not the full picture. Rules differ in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and depend on the exact work you do. This page is general information, not legal advice. Always confirm your obligations with the relevant regulator, scheme or a qualified adviser.
FAQ
Food & hospitality compliance, answered.
When do I have to register my food business?
At least 28 days before you start trading, with the local authority for the premises. Registration is free and cannot be refused. Trading unregistered is an offence, and it is one of the first things an environmental health officer checks.
Do my staff legally need food hygiene certificates?
No certificate is required by law, but the training is. Food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene appropriate to what they do. A recognised course certificate is simply the easiest way to evidence that the duty has been met.
Do I have to display my food hygiene rating?
In Wales and Northern Ireland, yes: display at the premises is a legal requirement. In England it is voluntary, though the rating is published online either way and customers and delivery platforms routinely check it.
What is Natasha’s Law?
The rule, in force since October 2021, that food prepacked for direct sale (made and packed on the premises before a customer orders it) must carry a full ingredient list with the 14 regulated allergens emphasised. It is what brought sandwich fridges and deli counters into full labelling.
What do I need to sell alcohol?
Two layers under the Licensing Act 2003: a premises licence for the venue, and sales made by or under the authority of a personal licence holder. The premises licence must name a designated premises supervisor who holds a personal licence. Both come through the local licensing authority.
Who works on the gas and electrics in my kitchen?
Commercial catering gas work must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer with the right catering categories, and fixed electrical work is judged against BS 7671. See our electrician and gas engineer checklists. Your insurer will expect the certificates.
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