Private trading
If you operate a food business over the Notting Hill Carnival weekend, then you may need to register as a food business, especially if you intend to do this on a regular basis or if you intend to undertake food operations at other locations.
You need to register with the Local Authority where you are based/store your food/vehicle. If this is in City of Westminster, you can find details on the Food Safety for Businesses page.
You will be inspected over the carnival weekend and you need to ensure that you comply with the various requirements of food hygiene, food standards and health and safety legislation - most notably
- The Food Safety Act 1990
- The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013, EC Regulations 852/2004 and 178/2002
- The Food Information Regulations 2014 and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and all other associated legislation
If you are not the landowner of your residency, you will need to contact your property owner/manager (including tenant management organisations where applicable) to gain permission for any activity taking place (including trading of any kind) from private property.
If you wish to sell or supply alcohol on your private land, you need to apply for temporary permission. These are called Temporary Event Notices (TEN). Find out more at GOV.UK.
To apply for a Temporary Event Notice in Westminster please apply online. Notices must be received at least 10 working days before the event. Each notice costs £21.
If you are trading on private land, all activity including the transaction must take place on private land and not on the public highway. You cannot trade over your garden wall or fence and the customer must be on private land. If our enforcement team see any transactions taking place onto public highway your products and/or equipment may be seized.
Environmental Health Officer checks
Environmental Health Officers will be checking you have met the below conditions.
Sinks:
- You have adequate sinks and a plentiful supply of hot and cold running water. You must have a separate sink for food washing and another for equipment washing.
- In addition to sinks you must have a dedicated wash hand basin with a plentiful supply of hot and cold running water. Most businesses hire a TEAL unit or similar for the carnival weekend, and you must provide soap and hand towels.
Food cooking and storage:
- You must store food appropriately at all times and have the appropriate equipment to do so. Hot food must be stored above 63°C and cold food at 8°C or below.
- Food should be cooked to a minimum of 75°C. You must provide a probe thermometer so you and your staff can check temperatures. Record the temperature of your food every hour.
Cleaning and food safety:
- You and your staff must be adequately trained or supervised in food safety. As a very minimum staff should be trained to Level 2 in food safety.
- You must have adequate cleaning supplies for disinfecting and sanitising work surfaces and ensure there is no risk of cross-contamination. Ensure dedicated areas for raw meats and ready to eat foods are kept separate. Use separate tongs when handling raw and ready to eat foods.
- You must know what allergens are in your food and provide the information to customers on request.
Safety around heat sources:
- You must ensure any BBQ’s and cookers are suitably guarded to prevent the public, including children, falling onto or touching the hot surfaces. You must provide your own guards and not use the police guards.
- You must ensure any electrical sockets and leads are suitable for outdoor use and are in good condition.
- Liquid petroleum gas cylinders must be set up by a competent person and hoses in a good condition.
- Only diesel generators are to be used, petrol generators are not allowed.
- You must have suitable and sufficient fire extinguishers, a fire blanket and a fully stocked first aid kit.
- Any gazebo’s or tarpaulin sheets must be kept away from combustible sources such as BBQs, cookers, generators.