Compare catering insurance

Insurance for caterers protects a food business that cooks for clients, events or the public. Its core is public and product liability, so you are covered if a guest slips at your stand or blames your food for an illness.

Quotezone compares quotes for event, wedding, contract and home-based caterers. If you trade from a van or trailer, the vehicle needs catering van insurance, while this page covers the business itself.

Building a catering policy

Most caterers start with liability, then add the rest to suit the jobs they take on:

• Public liability: injury or damage to guests, venue staff or the venue itself, caused by your business (business.gov.uk).
• Product liability: claims that food you made or supplied left someone ill or hurt (business.gov.uk). For a caterer, this is the section that answers food poisoning claims.
• Equipment and stock: ovens, hot cupboards, chafing dishes and food stock, wherever the policy says it applies (business.gov.uk).
• Employers’ liability: compulsory as soon as you employ anyone, from a sous chef to waiting staff (GOV.UK).
• Business interruption: lost takings while a kitchen fire or other insured damage stops you working (business.gov.uk).

Policies do not usually pay fines for breaking food hygiene law, and most exclude contract penalties for late or cancelled jobs. Check how each quote treats food you supply but did not cook.

Does catering insurance cover food poisoning?

It can, through product liability rather than public liability. That section pays legal costs and compensation if a court finds your food made someone ill. Insurers expect you to follow food safety law, so keep temperature and cleaning records.

Registering with your council before the first booking

Anyone who sells, cooks, stores or prepares food may count as a food business, and that includes caterers working from home or a temporary stall (GOV.UK).

Registration with the local authority must happen 28 days or more before trading begins in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland differs, and the Food Standards Agency points Scottish caterers to Food Standards Scotland (GOV.UK).

Hygiene ratings follow on from registration. In Wales and Northern Ireland you must display your rating at each customer entrance, while in England showing it is up to you (Food Standards Agency).

Allergen information at weddings and events

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, food law names 14 allergens, from celery and gluten to sesame and sulphites. Caterers must tell customers when any food they provide contains one of them (Food Standards Agency).

For loose food, such as a buffet, you must give allergen information for every item that contains one. The same guidance says food businesses must train their staff on allergens (FSA).

A missed allergen can lead to a serious claim, so ask insurers how product liability treats allergic reactions. Putting allergen details on menus or labels, and briefing staff before each event, helps the information reach every guest.

Street food, markets and festival pitches

A stall or gazebo brings its own risks, from guy ropes to hot oil. In England and Wales, the council can tell you whether you need a street trading licence, and trading without one can lead to a fine (GOV.UK).

Festival and market organisers may name a minimum liability figure in the pitch contract. Check the figure before you buy, as some ask for more than a basic policy offers. Contract caterers in offices, schools or care homes may find the client sets cover levels in the same way.

Your vehicle is a separate matter. GOV.UK says any vehicle you use on UK roads needs motor insurance (GOV.UK), and a converted kitchen van or trailer needs specialist vehicle cover.

Will a venue ask to see my liability certificate?

Hotels, wedding venues and event organisers often ask caterers for proof of public and product liability before the day. The business.gov.uk guide gives contracts with venues or clients as one reason to hold cover (business.gov.uk). Send the certificate early, as some venues will not confirm a booking without it.

Kitchens, staff and safety law

HSE says health and safety law generally applies to all businesses, no matter how small (HSE). For catering, it lists slips and trips, knives, muscle and joint injuries and dermatitis among the main risks (HSE).

Those risks fall on your staff as much as your guests. Employers’ liability covers claims such as a kitchen porter burned by a fryer or a server hurt carrying a hot tray.

Pricing a catering policy

The cost of catering insurance depends on what you cook, for whom and where. Expect questions about:

• the food you serve and how it is cooked, as deep frying and open flames carry more risk
• where you work, from private homes to festivals
• your turnover and how many events you cover
• staff numbers, including casual workers
• the value of your equipment, and any claims in the last five years

You might also need

Private chefs who cook in clients’ homes can compare chef insurance, which adds professional indemnity. Running a fixed venue as well? Our restaurant insurance page covers the premises.

Compare catering insurance quotes and weigh up each policy side by side.