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How Old Do You Have to Be to Legally Work on a Catering Van?

by Amy
(Walsall)

Young member of staff serving a customer at the hatch of a yellow catering van

Young member of staff serving a customer at the hatch of a yellow catering van

How old do you have to be to legally work on a catering van?

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Sep 24, 2026
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by: MobCater

That is a really good question to ask before you take anyone on, Amy, because there isn't one single "catering age" in the UK. There are a few different rules that overlap depending on how old the person is and what you actually want them to do on the van.

The starting point is child employment law. A child under 13 cannot be employed at all, and from 13 up to school leaving age (the summer they turn 16) they can only do what the law calls light work. On a catering van that means front of counter jobs like taking orders, handing over drinks and pre-wrapped items, and helping keep things clean. It does not mean standing at a hot griddle or a deep fat fryer. School age workers also need a work permit from your local council's child employment or education welfare team, and their hours are limited: no work during school hours, nothing before 7am or after 7pm, and only a couple of hours on a school day. The byelaws vary from one council to the next, so that permit conversation is the first call to make.

Once someone has left school at 16 they can work proper hours, but they are still classed as a young worker until they turn 18. That brings its own protections: generally a maximum of eight hours a day and forty a week, limits on night work, and a proper rest break. The bit that matters most on a busy van is the hot equipment. Fryers, griddles and sharp knives are exactly the kind of work the Health and Safety Executive expects you to risk assess for a young person, so a 16 or 17 year old should be trained, supervised, and never left alone on the fryer. For that reason a lot of caterers keep the cooking to 18 and over and put the younger ones on service.

Whatever their age, anyone handling food needs to be trained and supervised in food hygiene to the level their job needs, and that is worth sorting from day one.

Hope that helps

David

Disclaimer: This is based on my experience in UK mobile catering, and employment and safety rules can change. Always check the current guidance on gov.uk and with your local council's child employment team, and carry out a young person's risk assessment before anyone under 18 works on the van.

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