Food - premises registration

Please only register your food business if you are intending to open the business in the near future.  Registering the business triggers a process where you will be contacted to establish exactly when you will be trading.  You will also receive a food hygiene and food standards inspection and be given a food hygiene rating score (if applicable).  You can trade whilst awaiting an inspection and an "awaiting inspection" status will be uploaded to the Food Standards Agency website.

You do not need an initial inspection from an Environmental Health Officer to start trading but you do need to register at least 28 days before you start trading: this is a legal requirement. If you have any queries about your initial inspection email us at fsafoodreg@manchester.gov.uk

To store, prepare, distribute or sell food on premises you need to be registered with us.

(The word 'premises' means restaurants, cafes, hotels, shops, canteens, market stalls, mobile catering vans, food delivery vans, businesses run from home and pop up businesses.)

Generally, if you run a food business for at least one occasion a month (on average) you must notify us about any premises you use for: -

• storing; 
• selling; 
• distributing; and 
• preparing/handling food.

Application form

Notify us of any change in circumstances i.e. change of name, cease trading etc.

If your application is OK you will be added to the Food Register within 5 working days. If there is a problem with it we will contact you.

Certain food business are required to be "approved" rather than registered.  Approval is not the same as registration.  

Applications for this re: Manchester businesses should be completed on the MCC website: 

• Licensing - Food - approved premises | Manchester City Council and complete the "approved" webform if you are submitting a food business approval application.
• Apply to become an approved food premises. If your food business requires approval and you apply for approval -you do not also need to register the food business.

To view the public register, email your request to: contact@manchester.gov.uk