Food Standards Office Opens Register of Food Businesses

The Food Standards Office of the Velocity Interoperability Network today opened its register of food businesses. Registration is required of every business that prepares, stores, distributes or sells food within the Network, including restaurants and cafés, staff canteens and caterers, retailers, manufacturers and processors, wholesalers and distributors, and mobile and temporary stalls.

Businesses that were operating before 6 September 2026 must register by 30 September 2026. The 1,284 businesses registered under the interim arrangements of the transition period have been carried onto the register and need not apply again, though they should check their entry and notify the Office of any change. A business that begins trading after 6 September 2026 must register at least 28 days before it first sells food. Registration is free of charge.

Registration is made by writing to the Office with the particulars set out on the Registration page of this site. The Office confirms each registration by email and allocates a registration number, which must be quoted in correspondence and shown on the premises. The register is the basis on which the Office plans its inspection programme, so that the frequency of inspection reflects the risk of the activity carried on.