Guidance on Running a Food Business

The law requires all food business operators to find out for themselves what they must do to ensure
their food is safe to eat. There is guidance available to assist with:

 Food Hygiene a Guide to Businesses (link to

http://food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/hygieneguidebooklet.pdf
 Labelling of Foods link to https://www.gov.uk/food-labelling-and-packaging/overview

If you need to calculate meat contents you can use the meat calculator in the related downloads.

If you would like to produce beef burgers which are less than thoroughly cooked there is a
requirement to pre-notify the local authority that you would like to do this. Your attention is
brought to the current guidance from the Food Standards Agency to assist you in understanding the
controls and systems that can be put in place to serve burgers.
www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/consolidated-advice-rare-burgers.pdf

You may need to apply for planning permission (link to https://www.gov.uk/planning-permission-

england-wales

You will also need to visit our Planning pages (link to planning pages) to check recent developments
in planning requirements.

Ventilation

To meet the requirement for adequate ventilation of a food premises there is guidance available on
the control of odour and noise from commercial kitchen exhaust systems from DEFRA
http://www.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/pb10527-kitchen-exhaust-0105.pdf Planning permission
and possibly Building Regulation approval will be required to put up external ductwork. It is
essential that full details of your proposals are submitted at an early stage.

Toilet Facilities

You are expected to provide adequate toilet facilities for staff:

 Separate toilet facilities (with hand washing) for staff should be provided where there are
more than 25 seats for customers
 The staff toilet should be near the working area but must not open into a food used for the
preparation, storage or consumption of food. An effectively ventilated lobby must be
between the toilet facilities and the food room.
 Foods must not be carried through this area
 For up to 5 staff one toilet and one wash hand basin would be sufficient for both male and
female staff
 For more than 5 staff separate male and female toilet accommodation must be provided
 Hand drying facilities must be available and can include, hot air hand dryers or roller towel
machines or paper towels together with suitable dispensers and waste bins.

Provision of toilet facilities for customers:

Reasonable toilet facilities will be required and regard is had to British Standard BS6465 1:2006. You
will be required to provide customer toilets and hand washing facilities in restaurants, cafes and
similar. The facilities should be internal and readily accessible without having to pass through rooms
used for the storage or preparation of foods:

Facilities for Male Customers Facilities for Female Customers

Sanitary Appliance

WC* 2 for up to 150 males; 2 for up to 30 females;

plus 1 for every additional 250 plus 1 for every additional 30

males or part thereof females up to 120, plus 1 for
every additional 60 females or
2 for up to 50 males if urinals are part thereof
not provided

Urinal* 1 per 60 males or part thereof up -

to 120 males;

plus one for every additional 100

males or part thereof

Washbasin 1 per WC plus 1 per 5 urinals or 1 per WC

part thereof
*Some slight reduction in facilities may be agreed for smaller premises. Establishments with up
to 25 seats should provide as a minimum one wheelchair accessible unisex toilet, which may
be used by both staff and customers.

There are slightly different requirements for bars and clubs with more facilities being required.

Customer toilets must:

 Be designed so that male and female accommodation provides privacy, the urinal area and
wash stations should not be visible when doors are open.
 Be suitably ventilated by means of openable windows or mechanical ventilation giving at
least three air changes per hour. The discharge points of any ventilation extract ducts
should not be close to the fresh air inlets to the premises
 Have suitable self-closing doors
 Sufficient size to allow safe access and use of the facilities
 Give consideration to the needs of disabled persons, both staff and customers. Special
requirements may be made.
 Hand drying facilities as detailed for staff

Beer Cellars

Additional considerations:

 The provision of natural or artificial ventilation to the external air

 Lighting to a standard of 215 lux
  Protection of light fittings where ceilings are low
 Build up of gas such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen. This will need to be assessed and may
require permanent ventilation and / or a carbon dioxide detector

Licensing Requirements

Guidance on what licences are required and how to apply are available both on our web pages
http://www.southend.gov.uk/directory_record/308/personal_and_premises_licences

and on the government website https://www.gov.uk/alcohol-licensing