Register a food business

If you have a food business in Edinburgh such as a

• hotel
• cafe
• takeaway
• food shop
• restaurant
• mobile food van
• home catering business

then you must by law register with us 28 days before opening. There is no charge for this. We will then carry out regular visits to your premises to ensure they comply with food safety legislation.

Approved premises

If you produce or distribute certain types of

• fish
• meat
• dairy produce
• egg products 

then you may also need to be approved by either us or by Food Standards Scotland. This is a separate requirement to registering a food business. Please email Environmental Health for further advice.

Licensing

Depending on the type of business you may also need a licence for

• alcohol
• street trading
• game dealing (venison dealer's licence)

and should contact the Licensing team. Find out more information on licences.

How to register

Complete the food premises registration form at least 28 days before starting your business and return to us at using the address below. We can also send you a form by post or email.

Download the food premises registration form (DOCX 49 KB)

You must also tell us about any changes to your business. Please note that If you have premises in more than one council area you need to register separately for each council area.