Whether you are running a food festival, a music event with catering, or a community fete with a cake stall, food hygiene law applies. The regulatory framework in England and Wales is strict, and local authority environmental health officers have broad enforcement powers. This guide explains what you need to know as an event organiser.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about food hygiene law in England and Wales. Food hygiene enforcement is carried out by local authority environmental health departments, and standards may vary. Scotland and Northern Ireland have similar but not identical requirements. Always consult your local authority and seek professional advice for your specific event.
The legal framework
Food hygiene at events is governed by several pieces of legislation, the most important being:
- Food Safety Act 1990 -- the primary Act setting out offences relating to food safety, including selling food that is unsafe, not of the nature or substance or quality demanded, or falsely described.
- Food Hygiene (England) Regulations 2006 (and the equivalent Welsh regulations) -- implement EU food hygiene rules (retained in UK law post-Brexit as assimilated law) and require food businesses to register with their local authority.
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 (retained) -- sets out general hygiene requirements for food business operators, including the requirement for food safety management procedures based on HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) principles.
Registration requirements
Any person or business that carries out a food operation (preparation, processing, distribution, or sale of food) must be registered with their local authority at least 28 days before starting. Registration is free and cannot be refused. For event organisers, this means:
- If you are directly selling or preparing food, you must be registered.
- Your food vendors and caterers should each be registered with their own local authority.
- Occasional food handlers (such as volunteers at a cake stall) may also need to register, depending on the frequency and scale of the activity.
As an event organiser, you should require all food vendors to provide proof of their food business registration and their most recent food hygiene rating. The Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (scores from 0 to 5) is publicly searchable on the Food Standards Agency website and gives a quick indication of a vendor's compliance history.
Food safety management systems
All food businesses, including those operating at events, must have food safety management procedures in place based on HACCP principles. For smaller operators, the Food Standards Agency's "Safer Food, Better Business" pack provides a simplified framework that satisfies this requirement. Your vendors should be able to show you their food safety management documentation.
Key areas that food safety management should cover include:
- Temperature control -- hot food must be kept above 63 degrees Celsius, and cold food must be kept below 8 degrees Celsius (with a recommended target of 5 degrees Celsius).
- Cross-contamination prevention -- separate storage and preparation areas for raw and ready-to-eat foods, with appropriate colour-coded equipment.
- Allergen management -- since October 2021, Natasha's Law (the Food Information (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2019) requires prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) food to carry a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised. For non-prepacked food, allergen information must be available on request.
- Personal hygiene -- adequate handwashing facilities with hot and cold running water, soap, and hygienic drying methods.
- Water supply -- a supply of potable water for food preparation and handwashing.
Your responsibilities as event organiser
While each food vendor is legally responsible for their own food safety, you as the event organiser have a duty of care to your attendees and a practical interest in preventing food safety problems. Your responsibilities include:
- Vetting vendors before the event. Request food business registration certificates, food hygiene ratings, and public liability insurance certificates.
- Providing adequate infrastructure: clean water supply, waste water disposal, refuse collection, and handwashing facilities if vendors cannot provide their own.
- Setting out clear requirements in your vendor agreements covering food safety standards, allergen management, waste disposal, and compliance with your event's conditions.
- Conducting walkaround inspections during the event to check that vendors are maintaining standards.
Enforcement at events
Local authority environmental health officers can and do inspect food operations at events, often without prior notice. They have the power to issue improvement notices, hygiene emergency prohibition notices (which can close a food operation immediately), and to prosecute for food safety offences. A conviction under the Food Safety Act 1990 can result in an unlimited fine or up to two years' imprisonment.
If an environmental health officer closes a vendor at your event, cooperate fully and do not allow the vendor to resume trading until the officer is satisfied. Any attempt to obstruct an officer is itself a criminal offence.
Special considerations for outdoor events
Outdoor events present additional food safety challenges. Temperature control is harder in warm weather, and the risk of contamination from dust, insects, and animals increases. Ensure that food stalls have adequate cover, that generators are available for refrigeration, and that handwashing stations are accessible and stocked throughout the event.
Water supply is particularly important for outdoor events. If mains water is not available, you will need to arrange a supply of potable water in food-grade containers, with regular replenishment throughout the event.
Alcohol and food together
If you are serving both food and alcohol, be aware that different licensing requirements apply to each. Selling hot food or drink between 11pm and 5am is a licensable activity under the Licensing Act 2003, separate from alcohol licensing. Make sure your premises licence or TEN covers late-night refreshment if applicable.
For more on setting up your event infrastructure, see our guides on choosing the right venue and managing ticket sales alongside your catering arrangements.
Food safety is not optional, and a food poisoning incident at your event can cause lasting reputational damage as well as legal consequences. Invest the time in vetting your vendors and getting the infrastructure right.
