Food business information

Registering your food business

Food businesses must be registered by law and it's free. This enables us to keep an up-to-date list of food businesses in the borough. Once you are registered, your business will be displayed as 'awaiting inspection' on the Food Hygiene Rating website. You can start to operate as soon as you are registered.
In the meantime, you are reminded that it is your responsibility to ensure that you are operating your business within the law.

Who needs to register?

• Any food business storing, selling, distributing or preparing food must register, including restaurants, hotels and B&Bs, cafes, retail shops, staff canteens, warehouses, delivery vehicles.
• Market traders - if you run a market stall you must register with the local authority where your food is normally kept e.g. at home, lock up facility. You do not have to register with every local authority where you trade.
• Mobile vans - if you have a mobile vehicle, e.g. ice cream van, you must register at the address where the vehicle is normally kept. If this is at a food business registered with a council you do not need to register the vehicles separately.
• If you are starting a new food business (including new ownership of an existing business) you must register with the local authority at least 28 days before starting.
• Most businesses will need to register, however certain premises are exempt. Contact us if you think your premises might be exempt.

How do I register?

Register online

Registration is free. If you have fixed establishments in more than one local authority area, you must register with each authority separately. If however you are a mobile or market trader you only need to register with one local authority - this is usually where your home address is but can be where the vehicle or food is normally kept.

It is an offence to give information which you know is false.

What happens to the information given on the form?

We will enter the information on our food business database. Once the business has been visited the inspection record will be available on the food hygiene ratings page of the FSA website.

Changes to business details

You need to tell us about a change of food business operator, if the nature of the business changes, or if there is a change of the address at which moveable premises are kept by completing a new application form.