Do I Need to Register With the Council to Start Mobile Catering?

by Ani
(London )

Mobile catering van parked near a UK council building

Mobile catering van parked near a UK council building

I'm thinking about starting my own Caterpot business and I was wondering what is the process in Regards to letting government know about the new business.

I have my eyes on a good spot inside a park but not sure how to go on about it. :-(

Do I just turn up at the park with my van and start it up or will I be arrested or get a fine for not letting my local council know?


I haven't started it yet but I will soon as I have this covered.

I'm excited to be honest and want to stard on my two feed and not relay on the government since I'm a single mother of two. :-)

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Apr 06, 2026
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by: MobCater

Your enthusiasm is brilliant and I love that you want to get out there and do this for yourself and your kids. But yes, you absolutely do need to let the council know before you start trading. If you just turn up at a park with a van and start serving food without the right registrations and permissions, you could get fined or moved on, and that would be a terrible start to something that could be really good for you.

There are two separate things you need to sort out, and they are both straightforward once you know what they are.

First, you need to register as a food business with your local council. This is a legal requirement and it is free. You contact the Environmental Health department at your local authority and tell them you are planning to start a mobile food business. You need to do this at least 28 days before you start trading. They will send an Environmental Health Officer (EHO) to inspect your setup at some point after you start, but the registration itself is just a notification. It does not cost anything and they will not try to stop you, they just need to know you exist.

Second, you need to find out about trading permissions for the specific location you want to use. A park is usually council-owned land, which means you will likely need a street trading licence or a concession agreement from the council to trade there. This varies hugely between London boroughs, so you need to call your local council and ask about street trading licences for mobile food vendors. Some boroughs charge a few hundred pounds a year, others have waiting lists, and some parks already have exclusive agreements with other traders. It is worth asking early because this is the part that can take the longest.

Before you start trading you will also need a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate (about £20 to £30 online, takes a few hours), public liability insurance (most pitch owners and councils require it), and your Safer Food Better Business (SFBB) pack filled in and ready for when the EHO visits.

Don't let any of this put you off. Thousands of people have done exactly what you are planning to do and it is all very doable. Just get the registrations sorted first and you will be starting on solid ground.

Keep going

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 from registration to trading day: https://www.mobcater.co.uk/mobile-catering.html

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