Starting a Food Business
Starting a food or drinks business in Guernsey can be slightly different to starting any other business as there are a few extra hoops you need to jump through in order to be all set up. Don't panic! This guide takes you through the 4 most commonly asked questions.
This guide does not give definitive legal advice, it is provided to help give you an overview of the issues you may encounter and provide contact details to specialist area authorities
Where can I set up?
When choosing where to set up your food business make sure the space allows you to comply with the necessary regulations, and that you can prepare the food safely there.
This means having enough space for bins, sinks with hot and cold water, easily cleanable work surfaces and hot and cold food storage. There also must be adequate ventilation, lighting and drainage.
Ensuring that your premise is safe and suitable can become difficult when you operate a mobile food business or a catering company. Below is a link to The Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation's guide for details how to do this.
How do I register my food business?
If you are a business that wants to sell and/or prepare food you must register with Environmental Health. To register as a food business you fill out this form:
Application for Registration of Food Premises
This will enable you to obtain the license to sell and prepare food in Guernsey and covers any business from a mobile food van to a restaurant. Don’t forget that any business, no matter how small, that is making items for consumption must go through the registration process with Guernsey’s Environmental Health.
As a new business, you can operate and register your company in different ways, we take you through starting a company or registering as a sole trader in this article:
Health and Safety... does it always have to be a headache?
No! Here's a list of 5 things to guide you through making your premises a health and safety success!
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Have a written health and safety policy
Find the risks and explain the actions taken/facilities provided to minimise or entirely remove them. It's good practise to have a Health & Safety policy even if you have under 5 employees. Here is a helpful guide to get you started:
Starting your Food Business Safely -
Learn the health and safety requirements of your business
The States of Guernsey have a general guide to Health and Safety in the Workplace that can help sort out any confusion. More detailed info can also be found on the UK Health and Safety website which has detailed resources explaining everything you may need to consider.
Health & Safety in the Workplace Guide -
Ensure your business is fire safe
A fire risk assessment must be carried out. Contact the fire and rescue service for more details:
Fire Rescue Service -
Have a first aid kit
Suitable for the size of your staff. Additionally most businesses will choose to have at least 1 member of staff first aid trained. Make sure to check the most recent policies above from the Government and also your insurance provider.
First Aid at Work - Be aware of allergies
Make sure you have the appropriate methods to avoid cross contamination or clear labelling on food products with allergens listed to keep your customers safe.
Allergen checklist for food businesses
How do I keep my food safe?
The first thing to address is your staff. Workers must be wearing clean clothes, have washed hands, an apron if handling food, be in good health and wearing a hat or have their hair tied back.
You also need to train your staff in food hygiene to a level appropriate to their role in food preparation. There are 4 levels of training, each level is required for a different type of role within a food business handling foods of differing risk levels. Details and training provider contact information are provided in the guide linked here:
Food Hygiene and Training guide
Finally, make sure you have the correct storage facilities to store food at the correct temperature so that it doesn't become a risk. You might also need temperature probes and food covers.
If you need more guidance on food safetybhere are some more useful resources:
Looking for more support?
EDABL Guernsey - Eat, Drink And Be Local are a not for profit organisation on a mission to raise awareness of the benefits of supporting and buying local, whilst also giving small and start-up businesses a route to market, providing them with a platform to launch their products on the world stage.
They celebrate and promote all that’s grown, caught, reared, produced, or harvested within the Bailiwick. But, the journey from conception to consumer can be a tough one which is why EDABL strives to create opportunities and help artisan producers on their path to success.
They run Street Parties (AKA Seafront Sundays) with the dates being picked to coincide, where possible, with visiting cruise ships to increase footfall and sales opportunities for all our stall holders. If you are starting a food or drink business and want to get your product in front of customers, a stall at one of these street parties could be just what you need. To find out more about the events and pitches follow the link below to EDABL's website.
