Apply for our Food Business Advice Service

Whether you're setting up a new food business, or are already running an established food business, there are a lot of things to consider, to operate safely and legally. By purchasing one of our Food Business Advice packages, you'll receive direct and bespoke guidance on what you need to do to be safe and compliant, from an experienced food safety officer.

Service for new businesses

Warning You should register your food business at least 28 days before you start producing or trading food

Before you apply for our Food Business Advice Service

You'll need to decide a few things about your business:

• The foods you are planning to make or sell
• Where you will base your business, and any equipment you will need
• If you plan to sell directly to customers, or wholesale and distribute to other companies, such as stores
• If you plan to work alone or employ extra staff

Our Food Safety Officer can assess what you'll need to, to be compliant with the law during the early stages of the development of your business. They can offer advice on any other ideas you may have. If you have already set up a business premises, they can tell you what Food Hygiene Rating your business would be likely to get at that point in time.

Fee

The package costs £285 (including VAT). You will need to pay for the service in full when you apply.

What you'll get

Our service includes the following:

• Up to 3 hours of officer time.This can include a 2-hour site visit, if you already have a premises for your business. Our officer can advise on potential problems and make recommendations about the physical set-up, to help you avoid common pitfalls.
• Additional advice via scheduled meetings, phone or email. If you are unsure what you want, you can talk to us about what we feel would be best for your needs. If you don't spend all of your allotted time with your officer, you can also reserve the remaining time to contact us directly for further advice
• A printed copy of the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business pack, including a storage folder. This will help you to set up good food hygiene monitoring and record-keeping
• A personalised report by the officer who has worked with you. This will help you by identifying areas for improvement and offering advice on points of good practice

Service for established businesses

Fee

The package costs £285 (including VAT). You will need to pay for the service in full when you apply.

What you'll get

• Up to 3 hours of officer time, with your choice of advice via an on-site visit (recommended, taking 2 hours), via scheduled meetings, phone or email
• The package includes a thorough audit of the food safety aspects of your current business practices. We will summarise our business audit findings in a bespoke report, which will show you what Food Hygiene Rating your business would receive as it currently operates, and identify any steps you'll need to take, to earn the highest rating of 5.
• A printed copy of the Food Standards Agency’s Safer Food Better Business pack, including a storage folder (if you do not already have a copy)
• If you are unsure what you want, you can talk to us about what we feel would be best for your needs. If you don't spend all of your allotted time with your officer, you can also reserve the remaining time to contact us directly for further advice

Bitesize Advice: buy just as much time as you need

We charge £49 (including VAT) for up to 30 minutes of tailored advice from an experienced Food Safety Officer. You can choose a mode of communication that suits you best: online meeting, phone call or email. Buy in blocks of 30 minutes.

Find out about other local business support 

We deliver our Food Business Advice Service in partnership with The West of England Growth Hub and Better Business for All. Visit their websites for more advice about working with your local authority, to ensure that your business is compliant with regulations, as well as general support for small and medium-sized businesses.

Visit the Invest in Bath website for their business support and advice service on business-related topics, other than food safety.