01
Registration comes before the event
Register the food business with the relevant local authority at least 28 days before trading or starting food operations. Mobile and temporary businesses are included. For a mobile unit, registration is normally based on where it is stored overnight; confirm the arrangements with your council, especially when you also use a preparation kitchen.
Food business registration does not automatically cover street trading permission, venue consent or every type of food activity. Some establishments require approval rather than registration alone. Ask the council and organiser what applies to your operation.
In practice: Contact the local authority early with your menu, preparation location, vehicle or stall setup and proposed event locations.
02
What paperwork do you actually need?
A request for a 'catering certificate' can mean several different things. Ask who requires it and what document they mean. A training certificate, hygiene rating, insurance document and export health certificate have different purposes.
Keep operational evidence ready for inspection and agree the organiser's requirements before paying for a pitch. Gas or electrical documents and insurance may be requested by a venue or needed under separate safety obligations; they are not a universal food hygiene certificate.
| Document or evidence | Purpose and limits |
|---|---|
| Registration / approval | Confirm the appropriate local-authority process before starting; registration is not an inspection rating. |
| HACCP-based procedures and records | Explain how food will be handled safely at base, during transport and at the event. |
| Allergen and supplier information | Support accurate customer information and food traceability. |
| Training evidence | Demonstrate appropriate instruction and supervision; a certificate alone does not establish competence. |
| Insurance, gas or electrical evidence | Check organiser requirements and applicable safety obligations for your equipment and venue. |
| Official health / export certificate | A separate certification process where applicable; not a normal substitute for domestic catering records. |
03
Build a safe temporary kitchen
Test the setup before service. A plan that relies on power, water or refrigeration supplied by the venue needs a contingency if those services fail. Do not continue handling food if essential controls cannot be maintained.
- Provide suitable handwashing with appropriate running water, cleaning materials and hygienic drying; washing hands must not depend on a distant customer toilet.
- Have a safe water supply and arrangements for wastewater and refuse. Protect food and food-contact equipment from weather, dust and pests.
- Separate raw and ready-to-eat food and keep preparation surfaces cleanable and maintained.
- Check refrigeration capacity for the actual stock load and peak service conditions, not only an empty fridge.
- Maintain reliable ingredient and allergen information at the point of service, including substitutions and applicable labelling for prepacked for direct sale food.
- Brief temporary staff on the menu, hygiene controls, illness reporting and escalation if a problem occurs.
04
Control food from base to service
Use clean, sound vehicles and containers that protect food from contamination and maintain suitable temperatures. Separate raw and ready-to-eat foods and keep food away from non-food items. Plan checks at dispatch, arrival and service where your procedures require them.
For temperature-controlled chilled food in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the general legal maximum is 8°C; a fridge setting of 5°C or below is recommended to allow for fluctuations. Scotland has different legal wording. For hot holding, use the relevant regional guidance and your validated controls; 63°C or above is the usual operating threshold.
A journey is not automatically covered by a display-time exception. Do not use the two-hour hot-display or four-hour chilled-display allowances as a blanket excuse for uncontrolled transport.
In practice: Record the food or equipment checked, actual reading, time, staff member and corrective action. A photo can support a record but cannot establish the food's internal temperature.
05
Prepare for unreliable event signal
Choose a recording method that remains usable when mobile coverage fails. For a digital workflow, sign in, load the relevant records and check how queued work syncs before the event. Keep a contingency for a flat battery, lost device or an unavailable function.
Test a real record without signal, reconnect, and confirm the entry and any supported photo appear with the correct capture time. Keep device data until queued work has synced. Download or print essential documents ahead of time where an organiser or officer may need them without internet.
- Charge devices and arrange safe access to power or a power bank.
- Make procedures and allergen information available to the team even without internet.
- Assign checks to named staff and verify their access before leaving base.
- Review recorded problems and outstanding syncs after service.
