Hiya. Insurance is the bit everybody puts off, and then needs in a hurry the week before their first market. So I have put the lot on one page. Pick what you are after below and it takes you straight to a comparison form.
What do you need cover for?
Pick one and we will send you to the right form. It compares a panel of UK insurers, it is free, and you are not signing up to anything by looking.
Some of these are affiliate links. If you buy through one MobCater may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you and with no change to the price you are quoted.
What each one actually covers
Catering van or trailer
The vehicle itself, and usually the fixtures and fittings inside it.
Ice cream van
Quoted separately from a catering van, because the risk is different.
Public liability
For if a customer is hurt or you damage someone else's property.
Shop or unit
If you have taken a fixed unit, a kitchen or a shop alongside the van.
Plain van, no catering fitted
For a van you only use to carry stock and kit, with no servery in it.
Breakdown cover
Your van stopping is your business stopping, so this one earns its keep.
Two or more vehicles
Fleet cover, usually cheaper than insuring each van on its own policy.
What most mobile caterers end up with
Two policies, usually. Something covering the van or trailer, and public liability for if a customer is hurt or you damage somebody's property. Nearly every market and event organiser in the country will ask to see the public liability certificate before they let you set up, so you will need it on paper whatever you think of it.
After that it depends on how you work. Take on your first member of staff and you need employers' liability, which is a legal requirement rather than a nice idea, and the fine for trading without it runs into thousands a day. That one is not on this page because the comparison service I use does not quote for it, so ring a broker. Run two vans and fleet cover is usually cheaper than two separate policies. Take a unit as well as the van and that needs its own cover.
Who this page is not for
If you are already trading and happy with your broker, there is nothing here for you. Shopping around every single year is a fine idea in theory, but if someone knows your business and picks up the phone when something goes wrong, that is worth more than saving twenty pounds.
It is also not for anyone after the cheapest number on the screen. The cheapest quote for a burger van is quite often a policy that does not cover the fryer, or does not cover the trailer while it is pitched and trading, which is exactly when you need it. Read what you are buying.
Common questions
What insurance do I need for a mobile catering van?
Two as a minimum. Cover for the van or trailer itself, and public liability in case a customer is hurt or you damage someone's property. Most markets and event organisers will ask to see the public liability certificate before they let you set up, so you will need it on paper whether you want it or not.
Is my catering trailer covered by my van insurance?
Usually not while it is parked up and trading, which is when most of the risk sits. A trailer is often covered for theft and damage on its own policy, separate from the vehicle towing it. Ask the question directly and get the answer in writing, because this is the gap people find out about after something has happened.
Does public liability cover food poisoning?
That normally falls under product liability rather than public liability. Most policies sold to caterers bundle the two together, but not all of them do, so check the wording says product liability somewhere.
How much does mobile catering insurance cost?
Liability cover tends to land somewhere between about 150 and 500 pounds a year, and the van or trailer is on top of that. It moves about a lot depending on what you cook, where you trade and what the kit is worth, so treat any figure you read online, including this one, as a rough starting point rather than a quote.
Do I need insurance before I have even started trading?
Yes, and you will usually be asked for it sooner than you expect. Councils, markets and event organisers want to see cover in place before your first day, not after it. Insurers are perfectly happy to quote a business with no trading history.