Rating scheme

Starting up and operating your food business

Starting your business

If you are planning to open a new food business, getting it right now at this stage will be beneficial to you, and will also ensure that you comply with food safety law, which specifies the standards that you must meet to ensure food safety.

Definition of a food business

A food business is any undertaking - whether carried out for profit or not, and whether public or private - involved in any of the following:

  • Preparation of food
  • Processing of food
  • Manufacture of food
  • Packaging of food
  • Storage of food
  • Transportation/distribution of food
  • Handling of food
  • Offering food for sale

Registration

All new food businesses must inform the local council in which area the business is situated and then register the business. Upon receipt of a completed registration form  the details will be put onto our database and an authorised officer from the Food, Health and Safety team will then make an inspection of the business soon after you have opened.