Food Preparation Areas in Catering Premises
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Find out about requirements for food preparation areas in catering premises.
For more advice, download or order the Food Standards Agency booklet Starting Up – Your First Steps to Running a Catering Business, available in English and other languages.
Design and Layout of Rooms
There are special requirements for rooms where you prepare, treat or process food. These do not include dining rooms.
The design and layout of rooms where food is prepared, treated or processed must allow good food hygiene practices, including protection against contamination between and during tasks.
Floors and Walls
Floors and walls must be maintained in a 'sound condition'. They must be easy to clean and, where necessary, to disinfect.
In practice, this means that floors and walls should be smooth, hard-wearing, washable and in a good state of repair.
Floors and walls need to be made of materials that are impervious (materials that do not allow fluid to pass through), non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic.
Wall surfaces must be smooth up to a height appropriate for your work.
Ceilings
Ceilings and overhead fixtures must be constructed and finished in a way that prevents dirt from building up and reduces condensation, mould and shedding of particles.
In practice, this means that ceilings should be in good condition, smooth and easy to clean, with no flaking paint or plaster.
Windows and Doors
Windows and any other openings must be constructed in a way that prevents dirt building up.
Windows and any other openings, such as doors, that can be opened to the outside must be fitted, where necessary, with insect-proof screens that can be removed easily for cleaning.
Doors must be easy to clean and, where necessary, to disinfect. This means that the surface of doors needs to be smooth and non-absorbent.
In this section you can find further information about equipment and facilities needed for food preparation areas.
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