Market stalls, food vans and pop-up stands follow the same food hygiene law as any other food business. There is no lighter “mobile” rulebook. What the law does have is a short set of requirements written for movable and temporary premises such as marquees, market stalls and mobile sales vehicles, in Chapter III of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 852/2004: a way to wash and dry your hands, clean water, cleanable surfaces and equipment, safe waste storage, temperature control and protected food. You must also register with your local authority at least 28 days before you start trading. Street trading permission is a separate council matter.
At a glance: Nexis CPD offers a £9 CPD-accredited online Food Safety and Hygiene (Retail) Level 2 course — 100% online, with an instantly emailed, employer-verifiable certificate. Any three courses cost £18, and teams of 5 or more pay £6 a course place.
This guide is for anyone selling food away from a fixed shop or kitchen, from farmers’ market traders and food van operators to festival caterers and home bakers with a weekly stall. It covers what is different about trading on the move and links to our other guides for everything else. It is general information, not legal advice: your local authority’s environmental health team has the final say on your set-up.
Do market stalls and food vans have to follow the same food hygiene rules?
Yes. The core law is the same as for a restaurant: Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, kept in UK law after Brexit, plus the Food Safety Act 1990 and each nation’s food hygiene regulations. Every food business must keep food safe, register, train its food handlers, run procedures based on HACCP principles and give allergen information. Our guide to UK food hygiene law sets out that framework.
The difference is in the premises rules. Annex II has a chapter for fixed premises and a separate one, Chapter III, for “movable and/or temporary premises (such as marquees, market stalls, mobile sales vehicles)”. It also covers homes where food is regularly prepared for sale. Chapter III is shorter and more flexible, because a gazebo cannot have tiled walls, but it is not optional. Most of its requirements apply “where necessary”, which in practice means wherever your food and activities create a risk.
The Food Standards Agency’s guidance on businesses that supply or produce food on the move names marquees, stalls, vans and trailers. That takes in street and farmers’ markets, food vans and catering trailers, festivals and shows, pop-ups, and home producers who sell at a stall.
Charity and community events are treated a little differently. The FSA’s guidance on providing food at community and charity events, such as school fetes, says the food must still be safe and comply with food law. If the activity is very limited and infrequent, the council may decide registration is not needed, and the allergen rules apply to registered food businesses. You do not need a food hygiene certificate to make and sell food for charity events. A regular charity stall is likely to need registering like anyone else.
How do you register a market stall or food van?
You register with your local authority, free of charge, at least 28 days before you start trading. The FSA’s starting a food business guidance says registration “can’t be refused”, and that anyone already trading unregistered must register as soon as possible. Its registration guidance confirms this includes stalls and vans, and advises waiting until about 28 days before you are ready rather than registering too early.
Which council? The FSA’s food-on-the-move guidance says you must register your food business at the location where it is stored overnight. That is usually where your van, trailer or stall equipment lives, not every town where you trade.
In Scotland, Food Standards Scotland says all food businesses must register with their local authority at least 28 days before opening, free. Its Food Law Code of Practice says vans should be registered where they are ordinarily kept, and market traders should register the place where their food stocks are ordinarily kept.
Do you need a street trading licence as well as food registration?
Often, yes, and it is a separate permission. Food registration tells environmental health that you exist. Street trading consent or a licence is permission to trade in a particular street or public place, and the council can refuse it, limit your days or put you on a waiting list. Gov.uk’s street trading licence page says trading without a required licence can mean a fine of up to £1,000.
- England and Wales outside London: councils can adopt Schedule 4 to the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 and designate consent, licence and prohibited streets. A “street” includes any area the public can reach without paying. Markets held under a grant, such as a charter, or under an enactment or order are excluded.
- London: most boroughs license street trading under Part III of the London Local Authorities Act 1990.
- Scotland: a street trader’s licence is required under section 39 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982. For food sold from a vehicle, kiosk or moveable stall, the application must be refused unless you produce a food authority certificate confirming the unit complies with the required standards.
- Northern Ireland: the Street Trading Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 applies, and councils may issue temporary licences of up to 7 days for events, up to 5 a year.
On private land, such as a festival site, street trading rules may not apply, but you need the organiser’s permission and must meet their pitch conditions. Food law applies wherever you trade.
What does the law require on a market stall or in a food van?
Chapter III starts with a general duty to site, design, build, clean and maintain premises, “so far as is reasonably practicable”, to avoid contamination, especially by animals and pests. It then lists eight requirements that apply where necessary:
| Chapter III requirement | What it means on a stall or in a van |
|---|---|
| (a) Facilities for personal hygiene, including hygienic hand washing and drying, sanitary arrangements and changing facilities | A dedicated hand wash set-up with water, liquid soap and paper towels; access to toilets; somewhere to put on clean protective clothing |
| (b) Food-contact surfaces in sound condition, easy to clean and, where necessary, disinfect | Smooth, washable, non-toxic worktops and boards, such as stainless steel or food-grade plastic, not bare wood or cloth where open food is prepared |
| (c) Provision for cleaning and, where necessary, disinfecting utensils and equipment | A separate bowl or sink for equipment, hot water, detergent and a food-safe disinfectant, or enough spare clean utensils for the day |
| (d) Hygienic washing of food, where you do it | A separate container for washing salad and fruit, never the hand wash bowl |
| (e) An adequate supply of hot and/or cold potable water | Drinking-quality water in clean, food-grade containers, filled from a safe supply |
| (f) Hygienic storage and disposal of waste, liquid or solid | Lidded bins, a separate waste water container, and a plan for disposing of both and of used cooking oil |
| (g) Facilities to maintain and monitor food temperatures | Fridges, cool boxes, hot holding equipment and a probe thermometer, with checks written down |
| (h) Food placed so as to avoid contamination | Food off the ground, covered or behind a sneeze guard, and raw food kept away from ready-to-eat food |
Note the water wording. Chapter III asks for “hot and/or cold” drinking water, while fixed premises need hand basins with hot and cold running water. That does not mean cold water is always enough. Council standards for stalls and events vary: some accept warm water from a flask with a bowl for low-risk stalls, while others expect a purpose-made basin with hot or warm running water wherever open food is sold. Ask before you buy equipment. Chapter IV adds rules for vehicles and containers that carry food: keep them clean, keep anything that could contaminate food out of them, separate different products and keep food at the right temperature where necessary.
How do you keep food at the right temperature at a market or in a van?
The limits are the same as anywhere else. In England, food that needs chilling must not be kept above 8°C, and cooked or reheated food held hot for service must not fall below 63°C, under Schedule 4 to the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013. Wales and Northern Ireland have matching rules. The legal defences matter for mobile traders:
- Chilled food on display can be above 8°C for a single period of less than four hours.
- Hot food on display can be below 63°C for a single period of less than two hours.
- Moving food between chilled premises and a vehicle, or an unavoidable problem such as a breakdown, is a defence only for a limited period consistent with food safety.
Scotland words it differently: under the Food Hygiene (Scotland) Regulations 2006, food must be kept in a refrigerator or cool ventilated place or above 63°C, with exceptions such as food on sale or being cooled.
Without a mains fridge, pre-chill food and cool boxes, pack plenty of frozen ice packs, keep a thermometer in each box and keep them shaded and shut. Display only what you will sell soon and top up from the cool box. Probe-check temperatures when you load, when you arrive and through the day, and write the readings down. For hot food, check the core temperature with a probe and hold it at 63°C or above. Our food temperature control guide covers cooking, reheating, cooling and probe calibration, including Scotland’s statutory reheating temperature.
How do you wash your hands on a market stall without a sink?
You bring the sink with you. Anyone handling open food needs a dedicated hand wash set-up, not a bottle of gel. A typical portable station is a container of drinking-quality water with a tap, a bowl underneath, liquid soap, paper towels, a bin and a separate container for waste water. Many vans have a built-in basin with a water heater. Keep it for hands only.
Gov.uk’s staff training, illness and hygiene guidance says food handlers must wash their hands before preparing food, after touching raw food, waste, their face or hair, after cleaning, after touching phones and cash registers, and after using the toilet. On a stall, the cash point is the one people forget. Staff should tie hair back under a suitable head covering, wear clean protective clothing, and wear no watches or jewellery apart from a plain wedding band. Anyone with diarrhoea or vomiting must not handle food until they have been symptom-free for 48 hours, so sole traders need a plan for sick days. Our guide to personal hygiene for food handlers covers technique, sanitiser and plasters.
How do you prevent cross-contamination at a market stall or food van?
Space is tight, so separation has to be planned. The FSA’s food-on-the-move guidance says that when transporting food you must separate raw from ready-to-eat food, and food from non-food items. On the day:
- Keep raw meat, fish and eggs sealed, below and away from ready-to-eat food, ideally in a separate cool box.
- Use separate boards, knives and tongs for raw and ready-to-eat food.
- Cover ready-to-eat food or keep it behind a sneeze guard, so customers cannot touch or breathe on it.
- Keep food, packaging and equipment off the ground.
- Clean and disinfect food-contact surfaces through the day, following the disinfectant’s contact time.
- Separate money from food: one person takes payment while another serves, or use tongs and wash your hands after handling cash. Gloves that touch money and then food spread germs just as hands do.
Our 4 Cs of food hygiene guide explains cleaning, cooking, chilling and cross-contamination in more depth.
What allergen information must a market stall or food van give?
The same as any food business: you must tell customers if your food contains any of the 14 regulated allergens. The FSA’s allergen guidance for food businesses covers the three cases that come up on stalls:
- Loose food, such as unwrapped cakes or meals cooked to order: give allergen information for every item, in writing or verbally with a clearly visible notice explaining how customers can get it. The FSA advises that written information supported by a conversation works best.
- Food you wrap or box at the stall before customers choose it is likely to be prepacked for direct sale (PPDS) and needs a label with the food’s name and a full ingredients list with allergens emphasised. Our guide to Natasha’s Law explains what counts as PPDS.
- Bought-in prepacked food must keep the manufacturer’s full label.
The practical risk is recipes that drift: a new margarine brand or a different sauce can add an allergen unnoticed. Keep a written allergen record for every product, update it whenever a recipe or supplier changes, and make sure helpers know where it is. If you are unsure, say so rather than guess.
Do market traders need a written food safety management system?
Yes, in proportion to what you do. Article 5 of Regulation 852/2004 requires procedures based on HACCP principles. Most small businesses use the FSA’s free Safer Food, Better Business packs, with versions for caterers and retailers; Northern Ireland uses Safe Catering. For a mobile trader, the system should cover transport, keeping food cold or hot on the way, your water supply, disposal of waste water and oil, hand and equipment washing on site, and what you do if a cool box or generator fails. You must also keep traceability records of each supplier, what you bought and when. Our HACCP guide explains when a simpler approach is enough.
Do market stall and food van staff need a food hygiene certificate?
Not by law. Chapter XII of Annex II requires food handlers to be “supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene matters commensurate with their work activity”. Gov.uk says food handlers do not have to hold a food hygiene certificate, but you must be able to show staff have the right skills and keep training records.
In practice, a Level 2 course is the usual evidence for inspectors and event organisers. If you sell bread, cakes, cheese, produce or other food you do not cook on site, our Food Safety and Hygiene (Retail) Level 2 course matches that work and is written for market stall traders among others. If you cook or serve hot food from a van, Food Safety and Hygiene (Catering) Level 2 is the closer fit.
Nexis CPD courses are CPD-accredited awareness training, not Ofqual-regulated qualifications. If an organiser, council or employer asks specifically for a regulated qualification, only a regulated qualification will do. Supervisors may be asked for Level 3, and we do not offer a Level 3 food safety course. Our guide to whether you need a food hygiene certificate covers the law in more detail.
Do food vans and market stalls get a food hygiene rating?
Yes. The FSA’s food-on-the-move guidance says businesses that supply food direct to consumers receive a food hygiene rating once inspected. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland that is a 0 to 5 rating from the local authority that inspects you, normally the council you registered with. The FSA’s rating guidance for businesses says display is voluntary in England, while in Wales and Northern Ireland you are legally required to display it where customers can see it before they buy.
Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme, with “Pass” or “Improvement Required” rather than a number. Food Standards Scotland notes some businesses choose not to display their result, but every result is published online. The Eat Safe Award is a separate award for standards beyond the legal minimum. See our food hygiene rating guide for how scores work.
What do environmental health officers check at a market stall or food van?
Gov.uk’s food inspections guidance says inspections are usually unannounced and look at how hygienically food is handled and stored, the physical condition of the premises, and the processes, training and systems you use. Officers may take samples and photographs. At a stall or van, expect questions such as: where do you wash your hands? How did this chilled food get here, and what temperature is it now? Where are your records? Can you show allergen information for this product? Where does your waste water go? You will be told your result in writing at the inspection or within 14 days, and serious problems can lead to a Hygiene Improvement Notice or a prohibition.
What gas safety rules apply to food vans and catering stalls?
HSE’s information sheet on gas safety in catering and hospitality says work on gas appliances, including LPG in mobile catering units, is covered by the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998. Installation, servicing and repair must be done by a Gas Safe registered engineer, and appliances must be kept safe. Competent staff who are not Gas Safe registered can do routine tasks such as changing LPG cylinders. HSE also notes that pilot lights should not be lit while a vehicle is moving.
What should you check before your first market or event?
- Registered with the council where your van or equipment is stored overnight, at least 28 days before trading
- Street trading consent, market pitch or event booking confirmed
- Written food safety procedures adapted for trading on the move, and supplier records
- Allergen information for every product, and PPDS labels for anything packed before sale
- Training records for everyone handling food
- Hand wash station, separate equipment wash-up, detergent and food-safe disinfectant
- Pre-chilled cool boxes, ice packs, thermometers, a calibrated probe and a temperature log
- Covers and sneeze guards, separate raw and ready-to-eat equipment, clean protective clothing
- Lidded bins and a plan for waste water and used oil
- Gas installation checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer if you cook with gas
Which training suits market stall and food van traders?
Nexis CPD courses are awareness-level CPD: they build the knowledge an officer expects food handlers to have, but they do not replace your council’s advice, practical supervision or a regulated qualification where one is required. Three courses fit together for most traders:
- Food Safety and Hygiene (Retail) Level 2: the law, hazards, the 4 Cs, temperature control, HACCP-based food safety management, personal hygiene, allergens, pests, storage and waste; 3 CPD hours
- Food Allergen Awareness: allergy, intolerance and coeliac disease, the 14 allergens, the law including Natasha’s Law, and controls such as preventing cross-contamination; 1.5 CPD hours
- Food Safety and Hygiene (Catering) Level 2: the same core topics for people who prepare, cook and serve food, useful if you run a van or cook at events; 3 CPD hours
Together they cost £18 rather than £27 under the pay-for-2-get-3 offer. If you sell packaged goods, Food Labelling Regulations is a good swap for the catering course. Employers training 5 or more staff can buy team places at £6 a course place, however many places they buy, with places lasting 12 months.
£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100% online, verifiable e-certificate. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to register a market stall with the council?
Yes. Market stalls, food vans and other mobile food businesses must register with the local authority at least 28 days before trading. Registration is free and cannot be refused, and the FSA says to register where the business is stored overnight. For very limited, infrequent activity such as an occasional charity cake stall, the council may decide registration is not needed.
Do I need a food hygiene certificate to sell food at a market?
No certificate is legally required. Food handlers must be supervised and instructed or trained in food hygiene to match their work, and you must be able to show that training. A Level 2 food hygiene course is the usual way to show it, and many event organisers ask for one.
Do market stalls need hot water for hand washing?
The rules for temporary premises require facilities for washing and drying hands where necessary and an adequate supply of hot and/or cold drinking water. In practice, many councils expect hot or warm running water wherever open food is sold, so ask your environmental health team what they expect for your set-up.
Is a street trading licence the same as food business registration?
No. Food registration is with environmental health and cannot be refused. A street trading licence or consent is separate permission to trade in a particular street or public place, and it can be refused or limited.
Do food vans have to display their food hygiene rating?
It depends where the business is based. Display is a legal requirement in Wales and Northern Ireland and voluntary in England. Scotland uses the Food Hygiene Information Scheme instead, with every result published online.
Can I sell homemade cakes at a market stall?
Yes, if you register as a food business, follow good hygiene at home and on the stall, and give allergen information for every cake. Cakes you wrap or box before customers choose them are likely to need a full PPDS label with ingredients and allergens emphasised.
General information, not legal advice — check with your local authority’s environmental health team. This guide summarises Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 as it applies in the UK, the food hygiene regulations for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, street trading legislation, and guidance from the Food Standards Agency, Food Standards Scotland and HSE as checked on 22 October 2026. Nexis CPD courses are CPD-accredited awareness training: they are not Ofqual-regulated qualifications and do not replace your council’s advice, written food safety procedures or practical supervision.