Register a food business

If you store, prepare, distribute, or sell food and/or drink, it is a legal requirement that you register your business with us.

You can do this online by completing our food business registration form.

Alternatively, you can request a form to be sent out from the Council Food Safety Team at least 28 days before opening.

This includes wet sales pubs, catering businesses run from home and mobile or temporary premises such as stalls and burger vans.

This scheme allows us to keep an up-to-date list of all food businesses in our area so we can visit them when we need to. The frequency of the visits will depend on the type of food business.

You may be fined, imprisoned for up to two years or both if you run a food business without registering.

Mobile traders

If you run a mobile catering van, food delivery van or market stall, you must be registered with the council where:

  • your business is based (where you pay your council tax)
  • you keep your mobile stall
  • you store your food overnight

* Please note that you may also need to register for VAT, apply for planning permission and pay Business Rates.

Who needs to register?

Food premises include, but is not limited to

  • restaurants
  • hotels
  • cafes
  • shops
  • supermarkets
  • staff canteens
  • kitchens in offices, warehouses, and guest houses
  • delivery vehicles
  • buffet cars on trains
  • market and other stalls
  • hot dog
  • ice cream vans

Food organisations that do any of the following will also need to be registered:

• donate food such as charities and homeless shelters
• produce food in their home for members of the public (such as jam making, cake baking, etc.)

Exemptions

Certain types of food activity do not need to register, for example;

  • infrequent activities, I.E: one-off events
  • of you make food for your friends and family
  • village halls with kitchens only let out for use by members of the public
  • places where the main activity is not to do with food, for example, hairdressers providing tea and biscuits
  • places where food is only sold through vending machines

What information will I need to register?

  • name and contact details of the Food Business Operator
  • name of your Primary or Home Authority, if you have one
  • details about the nature of your business. It is very important that you provide as much information as possible so we can understand your business
  • date you plan to start trading
  • type of water supply you have, if you have a spring, well or borehole and so on
  • planned opening time (commercial premises only)

Mobile food traders will need to provide details about where and how they plan to trade

How do I register?

You can register using the food business registration form available on the Gov.uk website.

Alternatively you can complete this form and return via post or email to food@wakefield.gov.uk. There is no fee chargeable.

If you use premises in more than one local authority area, you must register with each authority separately.

Seasonal businesses operating for a certain period each year should give the dates between which they will be open.

Registration cannot be refused.

What happens to the information given on the form?

The information will be entered on our public register. A register of the name, address, telephone number and the type of business carried on at each can be viewed by the general public. The other information provided will not be publicly available.

Changes

Once you have registered with us, you only need to notify us of a change of owner or if the nature of the business changes. The new owner will have to complete a new form. Notes are provided for information only and should not be regarded as a complete statement of the law.

Once the food registration form is received you will be subjected to a food inspection.

Premises that need to be approved

Food businesses that produce, prepare, or handle food products of animal origin must typically get approval. This is unless they qualify for an exemption. If your food business directly supplies food of animal origin to the end consumer (i.e., the person who consumes the food) you are exempt from approval.

There may be additional exemptions if your business intends to supply food of animal origin to other businesses. These exemptions are outlined in the Food Law Practice Guidance (England). They are applicable to premises that operate as retail establishments or supply other retailers on a limited, local basis.

It is necessary to have a detailed HACCP Plan in place. This is to make sure the food business operator effectively controls risks at critical control points.

What to do if I think my business requires approval?

If you believe that your food business requires approval, please get in touch with the Wakefield Council Food Safety Team. They will carefully assess and discuss the necessity for approval and guide you on how to meet the regulatory requirements. It is possible that a planned set of actions will be needed to meet approval. You or your staff may need additional training appropriate to the size and type of your business.

What does being approved require me to do?

Premises approved under these regulations have additional requirements compared to regular food businesses. This is because they often involve higher-risk operations.

Approved premises must show their food safety procedures. These must be based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles.

Although these requirements may seem demanding, the food safety management system can be customised to suit the business. They should be straightforward and suitable for the intended production scale and type. If you have any concerns, please contact the Food Safety Team using the provided details.

It is also necessary for you and your staff to receive sufficient training in HACCP principles. They should also be instructed or trained in food hygiene relevant to your roles.

Before implementing your documented system, it is important to have a prerequisite program in place. This establishes a solid foundation for your HACCP. Some examples of prerequisites to consider are:

  • infrastructure and equipment requirements
  • safe handling of food (including packaging and transport)
  • requirements for raw materials
  • cleaning and disinfection
  • training
  • pest control procedures
  • the health of staff
  • personal hygiene
  • preventative maintenance procedures
  • incident/Recall management systems

Once you have put these prerequisites in place a process workflow for each of your products is advised.

This requires you to think about:

  • where the raw materials are going to be stored and managed
  • stock control and rotation
  • how to avoid the raw materials coming into contact with the processed product
  • where the finished product will be stored after production

An effective work flow diagram will also identify the process steps and help you with your HACCP programme.

How to apply

To apply for approval under these regulations, you need to fill out an Application for Approval of Premises form. You can request the form by contacting food@wakefield.gov.uk.

The application requires you to provide:

  • details of your HACCP plan
  • a scale layout plan
  • a description of your proposed business arrangements

Once your completed application is received, an officer will contact you within 14 days. This is to arrange a site visit for the determination of your application.

It is important to note that food businesses must not engage in any activity requiring approval without receiving conditional or full approval from the council. Operating without approval is an offense that may result in prosecution.

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

Refusal of approval

In the event of your application being refused you will be notified of the reasons in writing and the matters necessary to satisfy approval requirements. You will also be advised of your right of appeal to the Magistrates Court.

What happens when my business is approved?

Once your business is approved, the Council will assign a unique approval number to your business. This number is part of a standard identification mark that must be applied to your products and documentation. The mark is an oval shape and contains the unique approval number, ensuring traceability back to your company. You will then be added to the Food Standard Agency's list of approved establishments in the UK.

If you have any further questions about approved premises, the approval process or feel that your business may require approval please contact the food team.

Guide to starting a food business

Guide to starting a food business (accessible version)

Contact Us

The Food Safety Team Environmental Health Services Wakefield One PO Box 700 Burton Street Wakefield WF1 2EB

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