Restaurant industry solicitors

Which food hygiene regulations are applicable for a restaurant business?

All food-related businesses must follow good food hygiene practices, in all parts of the premises, not just the areas where food preparation happens. Restaurants must also provide adequate facilities for their staff to wash and dry their hands hygienically.

When it comes to specific food hygiene regulations for restaurants, the food preparation areas and all equipment that touches food must be well maintained and clean, and also regularly disinfected to avoid contamination. Food waste must be contained and disposed of in a way that avoids attracting pests.

Restaurant hygiene regulations stipulate that all cooking should be done in a way that avoids the risk of harmful bacteria being present in food sold to customers e.g. meat, by maintaining the right temperature for the correct length of time. This can be tested by using a clean probe. More information about the legal requirements for cooking and storing food can be found here.

Your premises may be inspected by your local authority at any time, in line with current health and safety laws for restaurants. They will look at your food safety management processes and working practices. They might also take food away for testing as well as inspect all aspects of hygiene. Find out more about enforcement action that can be taken here. Your restaurant will be given a food hygiene rating based on an inspection.

Allergy restaurant laws

Restaurants must tell customers if their food contains ingredients known to trigger allergies, such as nuts, dairy products, gluten, celery, wheat and soya. This information should be provided in writing e.g. on the menu or a prompt telling customers how they can find out allergy information. All customer-facing staff should be aware of allergens in the food so they can inform customers, if needed. If a restaurant fails to provide the information that is legally required, they may be considered negligent if a customer experiences an allergy when or after eating there. If you have any questions about restaurant negligence law, we can give specialist advice.

Other legal considerations for restaurants

As with any business that has a number of staff, there are restaurant laws for employees that need to be adhered to, such as minimum wage requirements, rest breaks and working hours.

Along with all of the above legislation, if your restaurant serves alcohol, you will also need to adhere to the terms of your license, which is applied for from your local authority. The restaurant licensing laws in the UK mean that your license can be revoked if you are not able to follow the regulations.

As an experienced restaurant law firm, along with our expertise across the board in legal services for businesses, we can offer support in all the areas that your restaurant needs. Get in touch for more information by calling 0161 696 6250.