Food Registration

What is registration?

Registration of premises used for a food business (including market stalls, delivery vehicles and other moveable structures) is required by law. Registration will allow local authorities to keep an up-to-date list of all those premises 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?

If you run a food business, 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, delivery vehicles, buffet cars on trains, market and other stalls, hot dog and ice cream vans, etc.

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. Anyone starting a new food business must register with the local authority at least 28 days before doing so.

The majority of premises have to register. However, certain premises are exempt from registration, e.g., food manufacturers requiring approval, domestic premises where food is prepared for private domestic consumption. You should contact us if you think you might be exempt.

In the case of vehicles and stalls used for transporting or preparing food for sale within the area of a market, the food business operator must register with the local authority where their stocks of food or vehicle are normally kept. Moveable premises other than those which form part of a market, e.g. ice cream vans, hot-dog vendors, etc. must be registered by the food business operator with the local authority in the area in which they are normally kept.

How do I register?

By filling in the registration form available to download in the Related Documents section below. Registration cannot be refused and there is no charge. The registration form must be sent to us. If the form is sent it the wrong address your application will not take effect until it is received at the proper place.

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

To register in Rochford District, return your form to:

Commercial Regulation Manager

Rochford District Council

Council Offices

South Street

Rochford

Essex SS4 1BW

You must tick all the boxes which apply to your business, answer all the questions and give all the information requested. Seasonal businesses operating for a certain period each year should give the dates between which they will be open in answer to question 12.

If you have any questions, please contact us using the link to your right or telephone 01702 318045.

It is an offence to give information which you know is false.

What happens to the information given on the form?

We will enter the details on our register. A register of the name of the food business operator, the name of the business (if any), the address, and the type of business carried on will be open to inspection by the general public. Records of the other information provided will not be publicly available.

A copy of each registration form is sent to Essex County Trading Standards Department to allow them to keep an up-to date list of all those premises in their area so they can visit them when they need to. They deal with the chemical quality of food and food labelling. The frequency of their visits will depend on the type of business.

Changes

Once you have registered, the food business operator must notify us, preferably in writing, of any changes to the stated activities. The changes should be notified before they occur but in any event no later than 28 days after the change has occurred.

You must notify us when the food business closes and when the food business operator changes. Notification of a change to the operator of a food business must be made by the new food business operator sending a new registration form at least 28 days before the new business opens.