Food Businesses

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. 

Application for Food Premises Registration 

You can apply online through the GOV.UK website for the following food premises licences:

• Register a food business
• Application for food premises approval
• Application to change a food premises approval

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. 

Exempt premises 

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 on 01200 414464.

Food Hygiene Rating Scheme

We operate the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in the Ribble Valley. All food businesses are inspected and rated. For more information see Food Hygiene Rating Information for Businesses.

All food business must operate Safer Food Better Business a food safety management system such as the one devised by the FSA. This can be downloaded in different languages from the Food Standards Agency website www.food.gov.uk