For the trade
For caterers: listing, licences and the rules
Listing is free, with no lead fee and no commission. Below it, plain guides to the paperwork a UK catering business runs into: hygiene training, registration, event notices, trading licences, allergen law and insurance.
Do You Need a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate?
No UK law requires a named food hygiene certificate, but food handlers must be trained. Why Level 2 is the norm anyway, what it costs and who needs Level 3.
Registering a Food Business: Free, 28 Days Before Trading
Every food business, home kitchens and vans included, must register with its council at least 28 days before trading. It is free and cannot be refused.
Temporary Event Notices: 5 a Year, 10 Working Days' Notice
A TEN lets you sell alcohol at an unlicensed event for up to 499 people. The limits: 5 a year, or 50 with a personal licence, 10 working days' notice, £21 fee.
Street Trading Licences for Food Vans: How Councils Decide
Selling from a van in a public street usually needs council consent or a licence. Rules, fees and the streets covered vary by council. What to check.
Natasha's Law for Caterers: When PPDS Labels Apply
Natasha's Law requires full ingredient labels on food prepacked for direct sale. For event caterers it applies less often than expected. When it does.
Catering Insurance: £5m Public Liability and What Is Law
Employers' liability is a legal duty once you employ staff, at £5m minimum. Public liability is not law, but venues expect £5m. What each one covers.
Starting a Catering Business: 9 Steps Before the First Job
Register with the council 28 days ahead, train, write a food safety plan, then sort allergens, insurance and tax. Nine steps to start a UK catering business.
Buying a Catering Trailer or Van: Gas, Towing and Checks
Before buying a catering trailer or van, check the gas installation, towing weights, water and hand washing, electrics and paperwork. What to ask.
Golf Club Catering Franchises: Rent, Percentage and Tenders
Many golf clubs let their clubhouse kitchen to an independent caterer. How clubs tender it, the usual commercial models, what clubs ask for and what to check.
Getting Listed: Free, Facts Only, Hygiene Rating 3 or Above
Listing on caterers.trade is free, with no lead fees or commission. What is shown, the hygiene rating rule, how the order is set and how to change it.
How to get listed
Send the business name, the town you are based in, a phone number, a website if you have one, and the kinds of catering you take on. If you are registered with your council as a food business, we match you on the Food Standards Agency register and show your rating with its date. We list businesses rated 3 to 5, or "Pass" in Scotland.
How we decide the order
How recently the listing was checked, then how complete it is. A listing with a phone number, a website and a full service list sits above one with a phone number alone. Nothing about position is for sale.
Verify your listing
Listings start with a dotted mark. Verify yours to confirm your details and show the Owner verified badge. It is a paid, annual check and does not change your position.
Food suppliers and wholesalers · Mobile caterer hygiene ratings by county