How to start a takeaway business in the UK: the order to do things in

This guide covers England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and points to differences where the sources do. It summarises official guidance checked on 21 October 2026. It isn't legal or tax advice. Your council's environmental health, planning and licensing teams are the people to ask about your own unit.

Step 1: Premises, planning and the use class

The most expensive mistake is signing a lease on a unit that can't legally be a takeaway.

In England, the use classes changed on 1 September 2020. According to the Planning Portal, "hot food takeaways (for the sale of hot food where consumption of that food is mostly undertaken off the premises)" became sui generis. That means they sit outside the broad Class E that now covers shops, cafés and restaurants. They were previously Class A5. In practice, a former shop or sit-down café doesn't automatically have takeaway use. Ask the council's planning team, or check the unit's planning history, before you commit.

Planning rules differ in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, so check locally if you're not in England.

While you're looking at the unit, think about extraction, drainage and waste. The FSA's guidance for new food businesses says premises must be kept clean and in good repair. It also says food waste should go in the bin, not down the sink, with commercial sink strainers to stop fat, oil and grease getting into the sewers. Changes to extraction usually involve planning as well, so raise them in the same conversation.

Step 2: Register as a food business (28 days before opening)

The Food Standards Agency says anyone who sells, cooks, stores, handles, prepares or distributes food may be a food business and needs to register with the local authority. That includes businesses that only sell online, through social media or a website, and businesses that trade from home.

The details that matter:

• When: at least 28 days before you start trading. The FSA recommends not registering much earlier than that.
• Cost: free. Registration can't be refused.
• More than one site: each site is registered with its own local authority.
• Trading names: if you sell under more than one name, for example a second brand on a delivery app, you can list all the names on one registration. Tell the council when you add more.
• Already trading without registering: register as soon as possible. It's a legal requirement.

After you register, the council will arrange a food hygiene inspection. If you later add a new delivery or takeaway service, or change your business model significantly, the FSA says you should tell the council.

Step 3: Late night refreshment (if you open after 11pm)

In England and Wales, the Licensing Act 2003 treats supplying hot food or hot drink between 11pm and 5am as "late night refreshment", and it needs a licence from the council. The Home Office guidance (published 1 October 2015) gives takeaway food outlets as an example. It says supply takes place when the hot food is handed to the customer, not when they pay.

Mobile vans parked to sell aren't exempt. Some councils can exempt certain areas or premises under powers added in 2015. If your evening trade runs past 11pm, check with the council's licensing team before you publish your hours online.

This guide doesn't cover alcohol licensing.

Step 4: Food safety procedures and training

The FSA's guidance for new businesses covers the basics:

• HACCP: you must have food safety procedures based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles. Most small caterers use the FSA's Safer Food Better Business pack, which has cuisine-specific versions.
• Training: a food hygiene certificate isn't compulsory, but the FSA recommends a qualification. You'll need to show you've been adequately trained in food hygiene, and the FSA says to give staff food hygiene training too.
• Risk assessment: the FSA points to Health and Safety Executive guidance on carrying one out.

Your first inspection leads to a food hygiene rating, which is published online and, in Wales and Northern Ireland, must be displayed at the door. Our food hygiene rating guide explains how ratings, appeals and re-rating inspections work.

Step 5: Allergens and your menu

Write your menu with allergen information from day one. If you take orders online or by phone, the FSA says information on the 14 regulated allergens must be available before the order is completed and again when the food arrives. Our guide to allergen information for online orders covers the two-stage rule, Natasha's Law and a menu checklist.

When you price the menu, work out the margin per dish before you decide on delivery fees and promotions. Our restaurant profit margin guide has a worked example.

Step 6: The rules for selling at a distance

As soon as you take orders online or by phone, you're selling without face-to-face contact. The FSA's guidance names the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 as the main law, plus the Electronic Commerce Regulations 2002 for internet sales. For deliveries, it says:

• Food must arrive in a state where it hasn't become unsafe or unfit to eat.
• Food-grade packaging is needed, liquid- or fat-repellent where necessary, with well-fitting lids.
• Chilled food must be kept cool in transit, for example in an insulated box or cool bag.
• If you deliver in a domestic vehicle, there are hygiene requirements for it.
• When the order is placed, the customer must be told when to expect delivery.

Step 7: VAT

Most small takeaways start below the VAT threshold. GOV.UK says you must register if your taxable turnover over the last 12 months goes over £90,000, or if you expect it to go over £90,000 in the next 30 days. You can register voluntarily below that.

Once you're registered, hot takeaway food is standard-rated (20%) and most cold takeaway food is zero-rated. HMRC's tests decide which is which. Our guide to VAT on takeaway food explains the tests. Speak to an accountant before you set prices, because the decision affects every menu line.

Step 8: How customers will order

Most new takeaways use a mix of channels:

• Phone and walk-in: no commission, but someone has to answer the phone during the rush.
• Delivery apps: these bring customers who don't know you yet. The cost is commission, on average up to 25% per order. You can change that figure in the commission calculator to match your contract. The Just Eat alternative page explains how restaurants balance the apps with their own site.
• Your own ordering website: this is for customers who already know you, at a fixed monthly cost instead of a percentage.

If you deliver yourself, set delivery zones with a fee and minimum order for each one. Our guide on how to set delivery fees and minimum orders shows how to work them out from the cost of a run. And because a new shop has no reviews and no history, a well-kept Google Business Profile helps local customers find you. That's the kind of work that helps you rank higher on Google in your local area.

Where Chefzi fits

Chefzi is commission-free online ordering for UK restaurants and takeaways, including dark kitchens. You get an ordering website that works well on mobile and is built for search, on your own domain if you want one. There are collection and delivery zones, promo codes, and email and SMS campaigns you send yourself. Orders arrive in the Chefzi app on a phone or tablet you already own, so you don't need to buy expensive equipment or a POS to take online orders. Chefzi doesn't sell a till, kiosks, couriers or a marketplace listing. If you're comparing build costs, see restaurant website cost.

Keep the next order

Early Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deal: new sign-ups get 3 months free, with no setup fee. The deal ends at 23:59 on 1 December 2026.

After the free period, Chefzi is £19 a month for cash or no-card ordering, or £29 a month with online card payments through Stripe, per location, excluding VAT. Standard Stripe fees apply. There's no setup fee and no commission, and it's month to month. See Chefzi pricing.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a licence to open a takeaway?

There is no single takeaway licence. You must register as a food business with your council at least 28 days before trading, which is free. In England and Wales, selling hot food or hot drink between 11pm and 5am is late night refreshment under the Licensing Act 2003 and needs a licence. Planning permission may also be needed for the premises.

Is food business registration free?

Yes. The Food Standards Agency says registration is free and can't be refused. Register at least 28 days before you start trading, but not much earlier than that. Each site is registered with its own local authority.

Do I need planning permission for a takeaway?

Often, yes. In England, hot food takeaways have been a 'sui generis' use since 1 September 2020, outside Class E, so moving into a shop or café unit usually needs planning permission. Check with the council's planning team before you sign a lease.

Do I need a food hygiene certificate?

The FSA says a food hygiene certificate is not compulsory, but it recommends a qualification. You will need to show you have been adequately trained in food hygiene, and the business must have food safety procedures based on HACCP principles, such as the Safer Food Better Business pack.

Can I start a takeaway from home?

Yes, but the same rules apply. You register with the council, which will arrange a hygiene inspection of your home kitchen. The FSA also points to government guidance on running a business from home, including getting permission from your mortgage provider or landlord and from the council.

Sources