What Licence Do You Need to Cook From Home and Deliver Food?

by savvas
(manchester)

Catering trailer parked on a residential driveway for home food delivery

Catering trailer parked on a residential driveway for home food delivery

hi,
i have a catering trailer , i park outside of my house and i want to cook in the trailer and after i make delivery with another car. what licence i need for that ?
i ask because they told me from the council i dont need street trade licence. because that it for selling at the public streets only.
thanks.
savvas

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Apr 02, 2026
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by: MobCater

Hi Savvas,

Good news: the council is right. If you're not selling on a public street, you don't need a street trading licence. But there are a few other things you will need to sort out before you start cooking and delivering.

The big one is registering as a food business with your local council. This is a legal requirement for anyone preparing or selling food, whether it's from a shop, a van, or a trailer on your driveway. You need to register at least 28 days before you start trading, and it's completely free. Your local Environmental Health department in Manchester will handle this. Once you register, they'll arrange an inspection of your trailer to make sure it meets food safety standards. That means proper hand washing facilities, clean surfaces, correct food storage, and a way to keep hot food above 63°C and cold food below 8°C.

As for qualifications, you'll want to get a Level 2 Food Hygiene Certificate. The law says you need to be "adequately trained" in food hygiene, and Level 2 is what every Environmental Health Officer expects to see. You can do it online in a few hours for around £15 to £25. It covers the basics of safe food handling, temperature control, cross-contamination, and cleaning. It's not difficult, and once it's done, it's done.

Because you're cooking at home (even though it's in a trailer on your drive), you should also think about planning permission. Some councils get funny about running a food business from a residential property, especially if there's regular vehicle traffic, deliveries, or cooking smells. It's worth a quick call to your council's planning department just to check you won't run into problems later.

On the delivery side, make sure your car insurance covers business use. Standard personal insurance won't cover you if you're using the car to deliver food commercially. It's usually a small extra cost to add business use, but you need it in place from day one. You'll also want public liability insurance, which covers you if a customer gets ill or has an allergic reaction. Most policies for mobile caterers start from about £150 a year.

One more thing: keep records of what you cook, when you cook it, and what temperatures you're holding food at during delivery. If you're delivering hot food, it needs to stay above 63°C all the way to the customer. Insulated bags are a cheap way to manage that.

You're actually in a great position here because your overheads are low, no pitch fees, no street licence costs, and you can test the market without a huge investment.

All the best,

David

Disclaimer: This is based on my experience in UK mobile catering. Rules and costs can change, so always do your own research and check with the relevant authorities before committing.

Try the free MobCater App for a startup checklist and step-by-step guide: https://www.mobcater.co.uk/mobile-catering.html

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