All food business operators must register each of their food businesses with us.
New food businesses should register at least 28 days before starting their business.
The registration system is free of charge and gives us the information we need to plan our food safety inspections.
Application for the Registration of a Food Business Establishment
If you have food business establishments in more than one council area, you will be required to register with each separately.
You must tell us about any changes to your business or if you stop trading.
For more information on food industry regulations visit the Food Standards Agency website.
You may require a license for other aspects of your food business such as street trading, late hours catering or the sale of alcoholic liquor. Visit our licensing pages for more information.
Childminders
Childminders working from home also need to register using our online form:
Childminders operating from domestic premises: Food Business Registration
If you are a childminder and provide no more than the following levels of food service as part of your normal business, you are not required to register:
- provision of mains drinking water
- provision of crockery and cutlery for use by children to eat their own packed lunches
- provision of chilled storage for packed lunches that belong to the children
- occasional assistance to children with cutting up their own food in response to individual need rather than an established service
- occasional provision of food that is not part of the normal service such as a cake to celebrate a child's birthday or provision of food where a parent/guardian has been delayed
- operating in the child's own home and serving food that belongs to the child's parent/guardian