If you run a food business, you must tell us about any premises you use for preparing, storing, selling, cooking, or distributing food.

Food businesses include:

• restaurants, cafes and takeaways
• catering businesses run from home
• mobile catering and temporary businesses
• marquees, food stalls, food pop ups and food vans
• schools, nurseries and care homes
• distance selling, mail order and food delivery, including online

If you operate more than one premises, you need to register each of them with the local authority in which they are located.

Some food activities do not need to register, for example:

• Infrequent activities, such as one-off events
• If you make food for friends and family
• Places where the main activity is not to do with food, such as a hairdresser providing tea and biscuits
• Places where food is only sold through vending machines

In order for registration to be appropriate, a food operation must have both ‘a certain continuity of activity’ and a certain ‘degree of organisation’.

As a starting point, the Food Standards Authority suggests that provision of food on at least one occasion on an average monthly basis has ‘a certain continuity of activities'. However, for more complex operations occurring less frequently than this, but where there is still some continuity of activity the FSA acknowledges that registration may be required in order that an appropriate degree of public health protection is in place. Winchester City Council Food safety officers will need to assess these scenarios on a case-by-case basis.

Although some establishments are exempt from registration requirements, they do, however, remain subject to certain provisions of the Food Safety Act 1990 and Regulation (EC) No 178/2002. An example would be in respect of a charitable or community event where a private person prepared cakes for a bake sale, but inadvertently substituted a dangerous substance for a food ingredient.

Further advice as to which food suppliers or sellers might not count as undertakings can be found in the FSA guidance on the application of EU food hygiene law to community and charity food provision

Registration of your food business is free.  You can register a food business by completing an online form.

Please complete all the boxes that apply to your business and give as much information as possible. 

If you do not provide enough details your registration may be delayed while we obtain further information from you.

Once you have submitted your form online you will be sent confirmation of your successful registration via email.

You may need to apply for approval if your business produces and supplies foods that come from animals to other food businesses (though not directly to the public).

Food of animal origin includes:

• meat, including minced meat and mechanically separated meat
• fish, including wet fish and live bi-valve molluscs
• dairy
• eggs
• frog legs and snails
• rendered animal fats and greaves
• treated stomachs, bladders and intestines
• gelatine and collagen

Food premises that require approval must meet additional requirements above those food premises that do not, as they usually involve more high-risk operations. 

If your business requires approval, you will need to meet the hygiene standards set out in the Food Standards Agency's guide to applying for approval of a food establishment.

If any part of your business requires approval, you will not be able to operate this part of your process until you have received confirmation of your approval or conditional approval. It is a criminal offence to operate without it.

Exemptions

You are exempt if you sell either directly to the public or to retailers on a marginal, localised and restricted basis as long as:

• The sale of Products of Animal Origin (POAO) is less than 25 percent of your trade.
• You do not sell food outside the county your business is registered in.

The application for approval is free of charge.  You can apply for approval online.

Following receipt of an application an officer will assess the application and visit the premises to validate the information provided and ensure compliance with the regulations.

You must:

• Make sure that we have up-to-date information about your business, such as a change in ownership.
• Inform us if you are planning to make any significant changes to your business, including closure.