New: the free 12-step MobCater startup guide is now in the app. Open the app →

Can an Ice Cream Van Trade in Different Council Areas and at Events?

by Khem Gurung
(aldershot)

Pale blue classic ice cream van with a side serving hatch on a UK seaside promenade

Pale blue classic ice cream van with a side serving hatch on a UK seaside promenade

When I set up an ice cream van business do I have to stick to the council its registered to or I can ocasionally go to other councils to do business during events? Do we have to get special permits in order to be able to do that?

Comments for Can an Ice Cream Van Trade in Different Council Areas and at Events?

Average Rating starstarstarstarstar

Click here to add your own comments

Aug 20, 2026
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Can an Ice Cream Van Trade in Different Council Areas and at Events?
by: MobCater

This is a good one to get straight in your head before you start, Khem, because ice cream trading has two separate sets of rules running alongside each other and people often muddle them.

First, your food business registration. You only register once, with a single local authority, and that is normally the council where the van is kept overnight or where you are based. You do not have to re-register with every council you visit. That registration should be done at least 28 days before you start trading, and it stays with your business wherever you go in the UK. So on the food hygiene side, you are covered nationally once you have done it properly with your home authority.

Street trading is where it changes. Selling from a public road, a layby or an on-street pitch is controlled by each individual council under their own street trading rules, and they do not recognise each other. If you want to work a round or a pitch in a neighbouring borough, you usually need that council's street trading consent as well, and the fees, the designated streets and the conditions vary a lot from one authority to the next. Some councils even run a specific mobile ice cream consent for exactly this situation. So popping into another council area to trade on the street is fine in principle, but ring their licensing department first and get their consent in place before you turn up.

Events are the exception that catches people out. When you are booked onto a festival, a show or a private site, the event organiser normally holds the trading permission for that ground, so you deal with them for a pitch rather than with the council. Always confirm exactly what their booking covers, and take your food registration, your public liability insurance and your gas safety certificate with you every time, because organisers and councils will ask to see them.

One ice cream point worth knowing: there is no legal monopoly on an area, so nobody owns a street, but a council's consent can limit which roads you work, and the chime noise rules still apply.

Best wishes

David

Disclaimer: This is general advice for UK mobile catering. Licensing rules vary between councils, so always check with your local authority before you start trading.

Try the free MobCater App, our startup checklist and guide walks you through every step: https://www.mobcater.co.uk/mobile-catering.html

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Mobile Catering Licence .

Your first trading day is closer than you think

Start free today with the 12-step guide, and skip the trial and error most new caterers learn the hard way.

Start the free 12-step guide