Starting Up a Food Business

When starting up a new food business it is very important to get things right at the start because it will make it much easier for you to run your business well in the future.

Food poisoning can be disastrous for a new business because word gets around.

For help and advice download the booklet Starting Up - Your First Steps to Running a Catering Business using the link from this page, or for catering from home or mobile catering go to:

• Catering from Home

• Mobile Catering

Register Your Food Business

To start up a food business in Eastbourne you must register with the council at least 28 days before opening:

• Register Your Food Business Online or Download Registration Form

What Else Do You Need to Do?

• Commercial Waste - before opening, you need to organise waste and recycling collections with a commercial waste company.

• Planning Permission - if you want to make changes to your premises, remember that you might need planning permission or apply for change of use.

• Business Rates - you will need to pay business rates on most premises.

• Licences - you will need to get licences for certain activities, such as selling or supplying alcohol or selling hot food between 11pm and 5am (late night refreshment).

• Tax (external link) - you might also need to register with HM Revenue and Customs as self-employed or register for Valued Added Tax (VAT). These registration processes are completely separate from registering your food premises.

Getting Started on Food Safety

• Premises Design, Layout and Facilities - an outline of the legal requirements and our free advice visits to help you set up or make alterations to food premises

• Managing Food Safety - Safer Food, Better Business packs for caterers or food retailers, with an online staff training DVD, to make it easy to manage food safety in your business and keep diary records with as little paperwork as possible

• Food Hygiene Guide and Leaflets - cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination - the '4 Cs' of food hygiene, personal hygiene and hand washing for food handlers.

• Food Hygiene Rating Scheme - find out how the scheme works and what safeguards there are for businesses

Health and Safety at Work

• Getting Started - Health and safety made simple, the basics for your business

• Workplace Safety for Caterers - reducing accidents from dangerous catering equipment and other safety guidance specific to catering

Checklist for Starting Up Your Business

• Have you registered your premises as a food business with the council? Why not save yourself time and apply online?

• Do the design and construction of your premises meet legal requirements?

• Have you put food safety management procedures in place and are you keeping up-to-date records?

• Do you and all your staff understand the principles of good food hygiene?

• Have you considered what arrangements you need for fire safety and health and safety at work?

• To sell alcohol, provide music or entertainment, sell hot food and drink late at night, or sell food on the street, do you need to apply for a licence?

• Have you registered as self-employed?

• Do you need to register for VAT?

• Are you keeping records of all your business income and expenses?

• Are you keeping records of your employees’ pay and do you know how to pay their tax and National Insurance contributions?

• Do you describe and label food and drink accurately?