Opening a restaurant in the UK: the 2026 checklist

What you legally must do before a UK restaurant can trade, in the order the deadlines actually bite. The one that catches most people: food business registration has to be submitted at least 28 days before you open, and no amount of goodwill shortens it.

Last reviewed July 2026

1. Register the food business — 28 days minimum

Any business that cooks, stores, handles, prepares or sells food must register with the local council. Registration is free, cannot be refused, and must be submitted at least 28 days before you start trading. It is the hardest deadline in the whole process and it is the one most commonly missed.

Register through GOV.UK, which routes you to the right council. If you operate from more than one premises, each one registers separately. Mobile units and home-based operations register with the council where the business is based.

2. Food safety management and HACCP

You must have a documented food safety management system based on HACCP principles before you trade. For most small restaurants the Food Standards Agency's Safer Food, Better Business pack is an accepted route and is free. Your first inspection will ask to see it, and an inspector finding nothing written down is the fastest way to a low Food Hygiene Rating.

There is no single mandatory food hygiene qualification in the UK, but you are legally required to ensure anyone handling food is supervised, instructed or trained appropriately for their role. In practice most operators put food handlers through a Level 2 Award in Food Safety, and the person running the kitchen through Level 3.

3. Alcohol licensing, if you are selling it

Selling alcohol requires a Premises Licence under the Licensing Act 2003 from the local licensing authority, plus a named Designated Premises Supervisor (DPS) who personally holds a Personal Licence. A Personal Licence requires an accredited qualification and a DBS check.

Premises Licence applications trigger a 28-day consultation during which residents, the police and environmental health can object. Contested applications go to a licensing sub-committee hearing, which adds weeks. Start this early — it is the second most common cause of a delayed opening after registration.

4. Allergen information

You must be able to give accurate information on the 14 regulated allergens for everything you sell. Food that is prepacked for direct sale — anything you package on site before a customer asks for it, like a sandwich in a fridge — needs a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised under Natasha's Law. Since the FSA updated its best-practice guidance in March 2025, written allergen information on non-prepacked menu items is expected rather than merely encouraged.

5. Tax, VAT and business registration

• Register with Companies House if incorporating, or with HMRC as a sole trader or partnership
• Register for VAT once taxable turnover passes the threshold, or voluntarily before that — most restaurants exceed it quickly
• Set up PAYE before your first employee is paid
• Check business rates with the local authority and whether small business rate relief applies

6. Tips and service charge

The Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 requires employers to pass on 100% of qualifying tips to workers without deduction, to allocate them fairly, to maintain a written tipping policy available to staff, and to keep records for three years. Decide your tronc or allocation arrangement before you open rather than after your first busy Saturday.

7. Insurance, waste and the practical rest

• Employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement once you have staff
• Public liability and product liability insurance, plus buildings and contents cover
• A commercial waste contract with duty-of-care transfer notes — household collections are not lawful for business waste
• Grease trap and food waste arrangements agreed with the council
• Pest control contract, in place before opening rather than after a sighting
• Fire risk assessment under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
• A music licence from PPL PRS if you play recorded music
• Gas Safe and electrical certification for the kitchen fit-out

8. The systems you switch on last

Menu, till, kitchen display and floor plan should be live for a soft launch, not on opening night. Build the menu with allergens tagged per item as you author it, map the floor to match the actual room, and run a friends-and-family service so the kitchen finds its jam points before paying guests do.