Do I Need a Licence for a Catering Trailer?

by naci
(london)

Catering trailer set up and ready for trading

Catering trailer set up and ready for trading

hi

I would like to know if I need to have a licence for catering trailer?

kind regards
naci

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Mar 28, 2026
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by: MobCater

Hiya Naci,

The short answer is — it depends on where you're going to trade.

If you're planning to trade on a public street or pavement, then yes, you'll need a street trading licence or consent from the council in that area. Every council in London categorises its streets as either licence streets, consent streets, or prohibited streets. You apply to the borough where you want to set up, not where you live. The cost varies between boroughs but expect to pay anything from a couple of hundred pounds upwards depending on the location.

If you're trading on private land — like an industrial estate, business park, retail park car park, or someone's forecourt — you don't need a street trading licence at all. You just need written permission from the landowner. This is actually how a lot of caterers in London get started because it's quicker and often cheaper than going through the council for a street pitch.

Either way, there are a few things you'll definitely need regardless of where you trade.

You need to register your food business with your local council at least 28 days before you start. It's free and takes about 10 minutes online through gov.uk.

You'll want a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate. It costs about £20 online and takes a couple of hours. Most councils and event organisers expect you to have one.

Public liability insurance is a must — go for £5 million cover, which typically costs around £150-£300 a year.

If you're using gas on the trailer (which most catering trailers do), you'll need a Gas Safety Certificate from a Gas Safe registered engineer. They'll check your gas setup and you need to renew it every year.

Get yourself a Safer Food Better Business pack from the Food Standards Agency website — it's free. Fill it in and keep a daily diary of your food safety checks. The EHO will want to see this when they inspect you.

Don't let the paperwork put you off — once you've got these basics sorted, you're good to go. Most people get it all done within a few weeks.

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

Best of luck
David

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

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