Food business registration

This is a registration of your food business with the council. Registration allows us to keep an up-to-date list of all those food business in our area so that we can visit them when we need to.

All food businesses must register with the council at least 28 days before starting trading.

Registration of a business establishment is for any premises or vehicle or storage units used for a food premises, including:

• market stalls
• warehouses
• delivery vehicles
• other moveable structures used in the running of your food business

Register your food business 

Register your food business in Croydon online at GOV.UK

Registration cannot be refused and there is no charge. It is an offence to give information which you know is false.

Changes to your business

Once you have registered with the council, you need to notify us where:

• the business changes, for example from a retail shop to a butchers shop or a sandwich shop
• there is a change of address where a movable or mobile premises is kept 
• there is a change of owner

The new owner will have to complete a new registration form. 

Approval for food businesses dealing with products of animal origin

If your food business is a premises that handles, processes and manufactures products of animal origin such as meat, dairy, egg or fish that aren't sold to the final customer, then you will need to apply for food business approval, not food business registration.

Application for Approval is an enhanced type of food registration for food businesses dealing with products of animal origin that aren’t sold to the final consumer. This would be, for example, if you produce the products to be sold in the retailer sector, by other caterers, and to other suppliers.

Eligibility criteria

If you run a food business you must tell us about the premises you use for storing, selling, distributing, preparing or offering food for sale or sample purposes.

Mobile vans or units

If you are using a mobile van or unit, you need to tell us where you park it overnight. You need to register the mobile with us if it is parked in Croydon.

Registration evaluation process

Once we receive your registration, we'll enter the details on the register. The register is open to inspection by the general public. Records of the other information provided will not be publicly available.

A food safety officer will visit your business. In some cases we will call to make an appointment, however, in most cases we will turn up unannounced.

The purpose of the inspection is to ensure the premises meet the standards required by the Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 Hygiene of foodstuffs on legislation.gov.uk.

The registration of your food business will not be refused, but officers can legally require you to carry out improvements if you do not meet the standards required by the law.

Consumer complaint

We would always advise in the first instance that in the event of a complaint about a food business or the food they have produced, you make contact with the food business operator. If you are not satisfied with their response please contact the Food Safety team.

Data protection

We will only use the personal information you supply on this form for the purpose for which it has been supplied, and in accordance with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and the Council's Privacy Statement which applies to the web sites of the London Borough of Croydon.