East Suffolk Council
How to register your food business
To store, prepare, distribute or sell food on premises you need to be registered with the local authority. Premises include restaurants, cafes, hotels, shops, canteens, market stalls, mobile catering vans and food delivery vans.
Registration cannot be refused and there is no charge. If you use premises in more than one local authority area, you must register with each authority separately.
New food business establishments should register 28 days before commencing food operations. Please do not register until you are confident that you know when you will start trading. There is no fee to register.
You must tick all the boxes which apply to your business, answer all the questions and give all the information requested. Seasonal businesses operating for a certain period each year should give the dates between which they will be open. It is an offence to give information which you know is false. If you have any questions, we will help you.
New businesses are required to comply with the relevant laws when they start trading. Inspections of food premises are carried out using a risk based approach. You do not need consent from us under food hygiene laws to start trading as a food business but you should allow 28 days from the receipt of your application before you do commence trading.
At the time of an inspection the food handling activities will be assessed for current compliance with the relevant food safety legislation in the following key areas:
- How hygienically the food is handled - safe food preparation, cooking, re-heating, cooling and storage.
- The condition of the structure of the premises - cleanliness, repair, layout, lighting, ventilation and other facilities.
- How you manage what you do to make sure food is safe and so that the officer can be confident standards will be maintained in the future.
The results of the assessment will also be used to determine the rating under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme.
Some manufacturers handling products of animal origin may need to be approved by the local authority or the Food Standards Agency, rather than registered.
What about changes?
Food business operators must ensure that the information provided to us is up-to-date and must notify us of any significant changes of activities or closure, etc.
Changes to the details previously supplied, for example, a change of food business operator, a change of the address at which moveable premises are kept, a change to the activities carried out in relation to food, the closure of an establishment, etc should be notified by the existing food business operator.
Regulation summary
Businesses should comply with food safety laws from the time that they start trading to ensure that the food that they supply is safe to eat.
Information on food safety matters can be obtained from the Food Standards Agency.
Eligibility criteria
No provision in legislation.
Application evaluation process
No provision in legislation.
Will tacit consent apply?
Yes. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted if you have not heard from us by the end of the target completion period of 28 calendar days.
Failed application redress
Please contact us in the first instance.
Licence holder redress
Please contact us in the first instance.
Consumer complaint
We would always advise that in the event of a complaint the first contact is made with the trader by you - preferably in the form a letter (with proof of delivery). If that has not worked, if you are located in the UK, you can find out about consumer rights at www.gov.uk/consumer-protection-rights.
From outside the UK contact the UK European Consumer Centre.
Other redress
Please contact us in the first instance.
Public register
The food premises register is available to view by appointment at the Council offices. A single entry or copy of the whole register can be purchased.
Trade associations
- British Hospitality Association
- Chilled Food Association
- National Federation of Meat and Food Traders
Additional information
- Food Standards Agency
- MyHACCP - free step-by-step online guidance from the Food Standards Agency to food manufacturing and other food businesses on how to make sure you've got effective HACCP-based controls.