Catering Insurance
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Run anything from a corporate outside catering business to a cake shop, mobile chip shop, hamburger stall or even an ice cream van and you will need insurance! A caterer in the UK faces a demanding and challenging trade, as do caterers around the world. The skills necessary to become a caterer vary and include being a excellent cook, a knowledgeable and friendly communicator, a talented sales person and a top-notch business person. A good caterer needs to be organized and have a good business plan that includes insurance cover.

In the catering business, many things can go wrong whilst on the job. Food can spoil because of faulty refrigeration, staff can fail to show up for an event, a client can be unhappy with your work or an accident, illness or injury can occur because of your food or your equipment.

There are different types of catering that include mobile, trailer based, motorised vehicle, baked potato unit, ice cream van, mobile bar, hog roast and marquee/market stall or gazebo. There is also outside catering, which is usually a corporate driven trade and involves serving sit down meals or buffets. Fixed site catering include sites like restaurants, sandwich bars, public houses, takeaway and fast food bars and fish and chip shops.

Insurance Caterers Should Consider

Whilst Public Liability and Product Liability Insurances are not mandatory for caterers, it is a very good idea to have them. Catering Public Liability Insurance will cover claims against you made by other businesses of members of the public should damage occur to their property or illness occur because of the food served. Most caterers have different types of cover, because with Catering Public Liability, you or your business may be liable to any claim as well as legal fees involved. Most Catering insurances will likely cover claims and legal expenses that are associated with the claim, and there are various options to increase cover in certain categories.

To find what Catering Public Liability cover works best for you, go to various insurance companies on the Internet that provide insurances for caterers. Look at the limits for Public Liability that different insurance companies offer. Usually the lowest level is £1 Million, but most insurance brokers will recommend that those in the catering trade take at least £5 Million in Public Liability cover, because this amount is requested by the Local Environmental Health Department.

Product Liability

Product Liability Insurance will cover any compensation that is awarded because you or your company caused damage to a property of caused a personal injury as a result of someone using (consuming) your product. This includes things like contaminated food, no label warnings, food poisoning, etc. Product Liability is usually included in a Public Liability package.

Employers' Liability

If you have one or more staff working for you it is mandatory that you have Employment Liability Insurance. This insurance will likely cover you should one or more of your employees becomes ill or is injured whilst working for you. If an employee is no longer working for you but can prove an illness he has is due to employment by you, you are still liable. For this reason, you must keep accurate and updated records of all past and present employees.
Since this insurance is mandatory, an employer must show proof of Employers' Liability Insurance by displaying a certificate that is clearly visible to all employees and health officials. If an employer does not have Employers' Liability they can be fined thousands of pounds each day they go without it.

Specifics to Various Catering Insurance Policies

A typical policy for a catering trailer might include accidental damage, fire and theft, theft and fire or fire and accidental damage or just accidental damage. Optional cover might include material damage to a trailer, stock including items like frozen foods, business interruption, money cover and liability insurance.

Typical Mobile Caterers Liabilities Insurance will likely include £5m in Public Liability Insurance, £5m in Product Liability Insurance and 10m Employers' Liability Insurance. There are options in most cases to add more Public and Product Liability insurances for an additional premium. By dealing with an insurance company directly through the Internet, most likely you can receive policy and documentations via email.

Outside Caterers and Liability Insurance

Insurance for Outside Caterers including Liability Insurance usually offers certificates for event organisers. These certificates can often be accessed via the insurance company's Internet site. The policy usually covers Public Liability Insurance at £5m and Product Liability for £5m. If requested Public and Product Liabilities can be increased to £10m. Optional cover can be purchased for business equipment, stock, attempted theft or theft from a road vehicle that is unattended.

Catering Van Insurance

Catering Van Insurance is a scheme that covers Mobile Shops and Hot Food Vans. It offers extensions, which are relevant to these particular types of catering businesses. Policy wording usually covers a period for six or twelve months and includes cover for fittings and fixture, an option for Third Party only or Third Party Fire and Theft. Most of the time, legal services are included in this package. Other options can include Recovery and Breakdown cover.

Restaurant and Takeaway Schemes

Many policies for Restaurant and Takeaway schemes will include packages for goods in transit, frozen foods, money, Public and Product Liability, book debts, Employers' Liability, and optional cover for buildings. Additional options can be explored by going to a Caterer's Insurance cover website and checking their fast food policy, legal expenses policy and terrorism extension policy.

Remember that every insurance policy is different. ALWAYS read the policy carefully to make sure that it has the right cover for you!

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