Food premises registration

You must register with Knowsley Council if you operate a business within the borough that stores, handles, prepares, cooks, sells, or distributes foods. Find out how to register here.

Registration allows the Council to identify all food businesses within our area so that they can be inspected. It is a criminal offence to operate a food business without being registered with the relevant local authority. 

You must register your food business with Knowsley Council if

  • You store, handle, prepare, cook, sell, or distribute food in the borough.
  • You take over an existing food business.
  • You operate a mobile or temporary food business, such as a stall or van.
  • You make significant changes to your food business, such as closing it or changing its scope.

You must register with the Council at least 28 days before you open a new food business.

Exemptions

  • Organisers of one-off events, such as school fetes, do not need to register with the Council.
  • Domestic childminders who prepare food in the home for the children they care for do not need to register directly with the Council, but they are subject to inspection.

Businesses that either store, handle, rewrap or prepare products of animal origin for distribution to other food businesses may need to be approved by the Council rather than being registered with the Council. 

Information about approval can be found here.

Apply for registration

  • Complete the online form on gov.uk

You will receive an acknowledgement from the Food Standards Agency with a unique reference number. We will email you with the next steps and links to advice. 

If your food business is eligible for the national food hygiene rating scheme, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) website will show it as ‘Awaiting Inspection’.

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