Register a food business

About registration

Before opening a food business, you must either register or get approval for it.

You need to do this at least 28 days before opening. It’s an offence to sell food without registration or approval.

The nature of your business will determine whether you need to register or get approval.

There’s no charge for either process.

Businesses that need approval

You need to get approval for your business if you supply other businesses with foods containing animal products that you’ve:

produced
repacked
stored

Businesses that need to register

You need to register if your business is a:

restaurant, pub or cafe
hotel
shop or off-licence
petrol station
staff canteen
warehouse or food storage unit
market stall
hospital, school or nursery
provider of free food pm a regular basis, such as food banks and community fridges

Businesses that do not need to register

You do not need to register if your food activities are:

part of a business that requires approval
infrequent, such as one-off events
for friends and family only
sold through vending machines
part of childminding duties as a registered childminder

This includes meat, fish, poultry, dairy and eggs.

You cannot operate any part of your business that needs approval until you receive approval, or conditional approval.

If you operate without approval, we’ll take formal action to stop the business operating until you receive it. This could involve you having to recall or withdraw products that you’ve already sold or supplied.

Register or request approval for your business

How to register your business

You need to visit GOV.UK to register your business.

Register a food business

When you’ve registered, your business details will be available on a public register. Anyone can ask us to provide a copy of the public register.

How to request approval for your business

To request approval, you need to email us at food.concerns@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.

Once we’ve approved your premises, we’ll send your details to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to keep on a central register.

Providing hot food and drink overnight

If you want to offer hot food and drink between 11pm and 5am, you must also apply for a late-night refreshment premises licence.

Apply for a late-night refreshment premises licence

What happens next

Once your business has opened, a Food Safety Officer will inspect your premises and give you a food hygiene rating, where applicable. We’ll inspect your premises regularly to ensure cleanliness and good hygiene practice.

The rating is for hygiene standards. It’s not about food quality or standard of service.

If you do not agree with your rating, you can respond to your food hygiene rating.