Registering a food business

What is registration?

UK law requires registration of establishments used for a food business (including market stalls, delivery vehicles and other moveable structures).

Salford City Council maintain a public register of all registered food businesses in Salford.

Registration allows local authorities to keep an up-to-date list of all those establishments in their area so they can visit them when they need to. The frequency of the visits will depend on the type of business.

Who needs to register?

1. If you run a food business establishment you must tell (or arrange for someone else to tell) the local authority about any premises you use for storing, selling, distributing or preparing food. Food premises includes restaurants, hotels, cafes, shops, supermarkets, staff canteens, kitchens in offices, warehouses, guest houses, food brokers, delivery vehicles, buffet cars on trains, market and other stalls, hot dog and ice cream vans, etc.
2. If you use vehicles for your food business in connection with permanent premises such as a shop, or warehouse you only need to tell the local authority how many vehicles you have. You do not need to register each vehicle separately. If you have one or more vehicles but no permanent premises, you must tell the authority where they are normally kept. In addition, mobile food vehicles may have to apply for a street trading consent to trade in Salford.
3. Anyone starting a new food business must register with the local authority at least 28 days before doing so.
4. The majority of premises will have to be registered. However, certain premises are exempt from registration, eg some which are already registered for food law purposes, certain agricultural premises, motor cars, tents and marquees (but not stalls), you should contact your local authority if you think you might be exempt.
5. Food businesses that are not wholly retail may also need to be Approved under Regulation (EC) Number 853/2004. Full details are available on our approved premises page.

Operating a business from home

If you intend to run a food business operation from home, you must ensure that you have the required permissions in place before registering as a food business. Permission is not usually required where the use of part of a dwelling/house for business purposes does not change the overall character of the property's use as a single dwelling.

Whether a change of use of a dwelling is taking place, and hence whether planning permission is required, is a matter of fact and degree of any proposal. However, if the following guidelines are adhered to, it is likely that planning permission would not be required:

1. The residential use, character and appearance of the property is maintained
2. The type of activity is unlikely to be detrimental to the residential amenities of adjoining occupiers and the character of the area
3. There are no staff employed
4. Not more than one room or garage is used for business purposes and this room or garage is available for domestic use outside normal business hours
5. The storage of any materials associated with the activity are not visible from the street and are of such small quantity as not to affect the visual amenities of adjoining occupiers
6. Not more than one commercial vehicle will be parked within the curtilage of the site or on the surrounding highway

For more information please visit the Planning Portal.

Environmental Health will need confirmation, that either you:

• do not require planning permission because of the above criteria
• have a certificate of lawful use to trade from home

If you live in a tenanted property, you will also need approval from your landlord. Please ensure that the requisite information is provided with the food registration form. We will not process the food registration form without this information.

How do I register?

Register a food business using our online form

All relevant sections of this form should be completed by food business operators in respect of new food business establishments and submitted to the relevant food authority 28 days before commencing food operations. On the basis of the activities carried out, certain food business establishments are required to be approved rather than registered.

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

You can also download a copy of the registration form at the bottom of this page. There is no charge for registration.

What happens to the information given on the form?

We will enter the details of your food business on our register. A register of addresses and the type of business carried on at each will be open to inspection by the general public. Records of the other information provided will not be publicly available.

Changes

Once you have registered with the council you only need notify us of a change of proprietor, if the nature of the business changes, or if there is a change of the address at which moveable premises are kept. The new proprietor will have to complete an application form.

If the local authority wishes to change the entry in the register because of information which it receives from someone else you will be given 28 days notice and an opportunity to comment on the proposed change.

These notes are provided for information only and should not be regarded as a complete statement of the law.

This page was last updated on 18 December 2023