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Starting a food business

It is your legal responsibility to make sure you produce food safely when starting your food business. Find advice on how to do this at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website.

You also need to meet legal standards for food businesses.

If you are starting a new food business or taking over an existing one you must register your business with us. Registration is free and needs to be done at least 28 days before you start operating.

Warning Do not register too early. If your food business is not ready to start trading, wait until nearer the time that operations are due to begin.

Mobile traders should ensure they have appropriate street trading consent in place prior to registration, where applicable. For most businesses you will just need to register with us, but for some approval is required before you can operate.

Register a food business

A food business is anyone who carries out food operations, including

Preparing food, cooking food, storing food, handling food, distributing food, supplying or selling food.

If you operate in more than one location, you need to register each premises individually with the local authority in which they are located.

Upon receipt of a completed food business registration, you will receive an acknowledgement letter and an awaiting inspection sticker to display at your premises.

Find further advice on who needs to register on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website.

Register a food business

Premises requiring approval

A business must seek approval from the council if it manufactures or processes for supply to other businesses, products of animal origin. This includes meat, meat products including minced meat, fish or fishery products including shellfish, eggs, milk, dairy products and collagen. 

Making an application

Before you apply, please email the details of your business operations to envhealth@cheltenham.gov.uk.

This will allow us to advise if you need to register as a food business or apply for approval.

Approval is free of charge and you do not need to register as a food business as well. You will need to download and complete and application form then return this to us in one of the following ways:

  • By email: envhealth@cheltenham.gov.uk 
  • By post: Environmental Health, Cheltenham Borough Council, Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham, GL50 9SA.

To determine the application, we will need to visit your site. An officer will contact you within 14 days of receipt of the completed application in order to arrange this. 

You will be advised in writing within 28 days following the determination of your application for approval.

Required hygiene standards to meet approval

To obtain approval you will need to meet certain hygiene standards as set out in:

Exemptions from approval

There are some exemptions from the requirement to be approved. If the food business supplies food of animal origin only to the final consumer then they are exempt from approval.

Additionally, there may be an exemption available depending on the extent to which the business wishes to supply food of animal origin to other businesses.

Should the food business be exempted from the requirement to be approved, it will then need to be registered with us as a food business. The food business operator needs to complete a food business registration instead.

What happens next?

A food safety officer will visit your premises to carry out a food hygiene inspection. These inspections are usually unannounced but there are exceptions in the case of home based businesses. The inspecting officer will discuss their findings with you and issue a written report. Most businesses that supply food to the final consumer will be included in the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme and will be advised of their rating.

The first inspection of your new business will normally take place within 28 days of registration or within 28 days of your operational date, whichever is latest. This is to ensure new businesses are complying with the law.

Inspection of new businesses will be prioritised according to risk as follows:

  • High risk food activities inspected within 28 days.
  • Low risk establishments can be postponed.
  • If registered more than 28 days before business commences, the inspection can be delayed until activities have begun.

Making changes to a food business

You must make us aware if any details regarding your business have changed. This includes a change of ownership or where significant changes to the type of operation or premises is planned.

Where a change in food business operator occurs, a new food premises registration is required.

Registration forms can be completed for free on GOV.UK.

Register a food business on GOV.UK

To notify of other changes to the business, you can email us directly at envhealth@cheltenham.gov.uk.

Operating a food business safely

It is your legal responsibility to make sure you produce food safely within your food business.

For advice on producing food safely, read the Food Standards Agency's Safer Food, Better Business guidance.

Food safety management packs and resources

The Food Standards Agency provides free food safety management systems and guidance, which you can download and print, for the following types of food businesses:

Home caterers and bakers

This pack has been devised especially for home bakers and will help with compliance regarding food safety management procedures.

Luncheon clubs

This pack has been devised especially for organisations that provide lunch clubs for the elderly and will help with compliance regarding food safety management procedures.

Food allergies and intolerances

The Food Standards Agency has guidance for businesses on food allergies and intolerances.

This includes training resources, signs you can download to put up in your business and an allergy matrix template aimed to help you provide accurate and easy to read allergy information on the foods that you sell or offer.

Fats, oils and greases

You will need to make sure that any fats, oils and grease are disposed of properly.

Keeping fats, oils and grease out of drains is always the most effective solution to keep your pipes clear of blockages. Discharging these substances is illegal and you could face fines or prosecution under Section 111 of The Water Industry Act 1991 if you damage sewers.

Thames Water have produced some best practice advice to keep your drains and pipes free of blockages.

Food service plan

A service plan is produced annually which provides information about the food service including the:

  • Aims and objectives
  • Scope of work undertaken
  • Demands and performance