Starting a food business

Before you open a new food business in Dacorum, there are few things you need to do. There are more helpful tips on the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website.

Register your premises

You will need to register your premises with us a minimum of 28 days before you start trading. This includes catering businesses run from home and mobile or temporary premises such as stalls or vans.

To register your food premises, please complete the online form:

Register a food business

You can also download and complete our  Food premises registration form (PDF 159KB)

Email the form to ecp@dacorum.gov.uk or post to: Environmental Health, Dacorum Borough Council, The Forum, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP1 1DN.

Find out if you need a licence

You will need a premises licence if you are planning to:

  • sell alcohol
  • sell hot food and drink after 11pm
  • provide entertainment (for example, music, dancing, karaoke, plays)

Please go to our premises licences page for more information and to apply.

If you are planning to sell food on the street, you will need a street trading consent.

Food safety basics

When you produce or prepare food, you must make sure that it is safe to eat.

Food safety regulations

Food safety management procedures are the processes that you will follow to ensure that your food is safe. You must be able to show what you do to make or sell food that is safe to eat and you must have this written down.

The FSA's Safer Food, Better Business tool gives you information on how to make sure both your staff and the food you serve are safe.

Food hygiene training

Food handlers must be supervised or trained in food hygiene matters. Find out more about food hygiene for businesses

If you decide to attend a food hygiene training course, we recommend that you choose at least a Level 2 course. A Level 2 course should last around six hours.

The following offer food hygiene courses (including Level 2):

We recommend that any training you attend is accredited by Ofqual.

Page Last Updated: Friday, 02 February 2024 at 11:16 AM