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Do I Need a Licence and Hygiene Certificate to Sell Candyfloss and Popcorn?

by Lexie
(Essex)

Pink traditional confectionery cart with candyfloss and popcorn machines at a UK outdoor market

Pink traditional confectionery cart with candyfloss and popcorn machines at a UK outdoor market

I have a couple of candyfloss machines and a pop corn machine I have applied to trade at a maket and they are considering my application would I be classed as catering? and do I need to hold Heath and hygiene cirtificate? Will I need to obtain a catering licence from council? If so how do I go about obtaining this please

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Sep 08, 2026
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by: MobCater

You would be classed as a food business, yes. Candyfloss and popcorn are still food, even though you are not cooking raw ingredients the way a burger van does, so in the eyes of the council you are running a food business and the same first step applies to you as to anyone selling hot food. Before you trade anywhere, register as a food business with your local council in Essex. It is free, you do it online, and you need to do it at least 28 days before your first day of trading. This is the step every EHO checks first, so get it in early.

On the health and hygiene certificate, there is no law that says you must hold a certificate to sell candyfloss and popcorn, but food handlers do have to be trained to a level that matches the work they do. For low risk, ambient products like yours the bar is low, but I would still sit the online Level 2 Food Hygiene course. It costs around £20 to £25, takes an afternoon, and it is the piece of paper most market organisers and EHOs like to see. It also makes your application look far more serious.

The catering licence part is where it gets confusing, because there is no single thing called a catering licence in England. What you might need is street trading consent, and that only applies if you are trading on or beside the public highway. At an organised market on private land, the operator usually holds the permissions for the site, so you trade under their arrangement rather than getting your own council consent. Confirm that with the market organiser, and if there is any doubt, a quick email to your council licensing team will clear it up.

One thing that trips people up with popcorn is allergens and flavourings. If you sell it pre-bagged and ready to hand over, you fall under Natasha's Law and need full ingredient and allergen labelling on the bag. Sell it fresh and loose and you just need the allergen information there to show customers. Candyfloss is simpler, but keep a note of what is in your flavourings either way.

A candyfloss and popcorn pitch is a lovely low cost way in. Your overheads are tiny and the margins are good, so get that registration done and you will be trading in no time.

All the best

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.

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