Food Safety Advice
Advice for food businesses can be found on the Food Standards Agency website.
If you are Starting up a food business, information can be found at Starting a Food Business
If you have a single question about food safety please use the Food Safety Query Form to contact us.
Food Advice Service.
We are now offering a fee-based advisory service for food safety for:
- New businesses before they start trading to ensure things are right first time
- Existing businesses wanting to improve your chances of receiving the highest food hygiene rating.
New Business Advice:
Before you open your food business you can obtain advice from a food safety officer who will be able to make you aware of all food hygiene requirements that you need to consider before you start trading.
There is a charge for this service of £130 for the first hour and £65 per hour after (see our Scale of Fees and Charges below) which includes the following:
- A one hour site visit of the proposed premises offering advice about structural requirements and proposed layout.
- On site written report summarising visit and recommendations
- Issuing you with a Safer Food Better Business Pack (SFBB) and a 12 months supply of diary sheets, along with explaining how it should be completed.
- Signpost you to other sources of information, agencies or Council departments as appropriate. The decision ultimately rests with your business.
Existing Business Advice
If you are already running a food business, you can also request food safety advice or advice on how to improve your food hygiene rating.
There is a charge for this service of £130 for the first hour and £65 per hour after (see our Scale of Fees and Charges below) which includes the following:
- A full review of your premises and food safety documentation i.e. Safer Food Better Business (SFBB).
- The officer will discuss with you the legal requirements and advisory matters that require your attention.
- A detailed report listing all the requirements that need to be addressed to improve your rating.
- Other requests tailored to you needs.
To request business advice, please contact us using the Food Safety Query Form.
Fees and Charges
- One hour visit to the Council office: £65
- One hour site visit plus report: £130
- Two hour site visit plus report: £195
- Three hour site visit plus report: £260
