A person setting up a business that involves selling, cooking, storing, handling, preparing or distributing food to the public must contact the local council to register their premises at least 28 days before they begin operating. All premises involved in the business must be registered, including any home, stalls or vans from which it operates. Registration is free and cannot be refused. Please see the online registration here.

This is a list of examples of the types of food businesses that will need registration with the local council:

• Restaurants
• Cafes
• Takeaways
• Catering businesses
• B&Bs
• Marquees
• Food stalls
• Food vans
• Nurseries, schools, and care homes (if serving food)
• Online food sales
• Anyone who sells, cooks, stores, handles, prepares or distributes food to customers.

After registration, any premises may be inspected by the local authority, who will give a score of 0 to 5 on the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (see the Food hygiene standards rating section for more detail).

Next up: Licences for food businesses