UK mobile catering evidence checklist
There is no single certificate pack for every food truck, trailer or stall
Your documents depend on the food activity, trading location, unit, fuel, electrical equipment, employees, vehicle and the rules set by the council, venue, organiser and insurer. Check each route separately—and make sure the LPG evidence matches the actual installation.
Three decisions before collecting documents
Identify the business, the pitch and the equipment
Where food operations are registered
Food-business registration follows the relevant local-authority route. Mobile or temporary premises are included, but multi-site and Scotland arrangements need checking.
Street, event, market or private land
Street-trading consent, site permission, event conditions and late-night or alcohol licensing depend on what, where and when you trade.
LPG, electricity, fire and vehicle risks
The installed LPG supply, appliances, fixed wiring, portable equipment, fire controls and road use each create their own evidence route.
Food registration is not the same as a training certificate
Food-business, hygiene and trading documents
Food-business registration
GOV.UK says mobile units, stalls and vans are included. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, register with the relevant local authority at least 28 days before trading. Scotland uses its own Food Standards Scotland and local-authority route.
This is a registration process—not a substitute for safe food management.
Food-safety management and training
Staff must receive supervision, instruction or training appropriate to their duties. A recognised food-hygiene course can provide evidence, but do not describe one named level certificate as the universal legal requirement for every worker.
Keep the food-safety system, allergen information, cleaning, temperature and supplier records relevant to the operation.
Street-trading or site permission
GOV.UK says you may need a street-trading licence in England and Wales and must check with the council for the area where you want to trade. Markets, festivals and private sites can impose additional trader conditions.
Alcohol, late-night refreshments and entertainment can introduce separate licensing routes.
Food-hygiene inspection and rating
Registration and inspection are separate. Keep the current inspection or rating information that applies to the business and respond to any local-authority actions.
Ask organisers whether they require a particular rating, report or confirmation before accepting the pitch.
The Upkeepone booking route
LPG evidence must match the mobile unit and every appliance
LPG category
The individual engineer must be registered for LPG rather than natural gas only.
Commercial mobile catering
A food truck or catering trailer is not the same work category as a domestic kitchen.
Appliance categories
Fryers, ranges, grills, water heaters and other equipment must fall within the engineer's current categories.
HSE guidance requires catering gas appliances, flues, pipework and safety devices to be kept safe and inspected by a competent person. CP44 is a commonly requested mobile-catering record, but the form name does not replace the physical inspection or automatically cover undeclared equipment.
Send the event, venue, council or insurer wording with the full appliance list. A record should identify the unit, LPG supply, appliances, date, engineer and findings or limitations within the completed scope.
Avoid the annual-PAT myth
Electrical safety requires maintenance—not one automatic certificate for every unit
Competent inspection scope
Use a competent electrical person to decide what fixed-wiring inspection or report is appropriate to the unit, supply, use, environment and previous findings.
Risk-based checks and testing
HSE says PAT itself and annual testing are not universal legal requirements. Equipment that could cause injury must be maintained safely, with inspection and testing chosen from risk.
Venue or insurer records
An event, market or insurer may ask for current electrical records even where the legislation does not prescribe a named annual certificate. Confirm the required scope and date.
Fire paperwork follows the real hazards
Record and review the fire-risk assessment
Fire-risk assessment
GOV.UK says the responsible person must carry out and regularly review a fire-risk assessment and keep a written record. Identify hazards, people at risk, controls, emergency arrangements and actions.
Equipment and emergency arrangements
The assessment should determine suitable fire-fighting equipment, escape arrangements, isolation procedures, staff information and training. Review it when the unit, fuel, appliances or layout changes.
Insurance documents answer different questions
Public liability, Employers' Liability and vehicle cover are not interchangeable
Often a site or contract condition
Events, councils, markets and landowners commonly set their own public-liability cover requirements. Confirm the limit, activities and dates with the requester and insurer.
Required when you become an employer
GOV.UK says Employers' Liability insurance is generally required as soon as you become an employer, subject to stated exceptions, with the certificate accessible to employees and inspectors.
Road and business use
Road-going vans, tow vehicles and trailers need the appropriate MOT, insurance, licensing and roadworthiness route for the exact vehicle and business use. Check DVLA, GOV.UK and the insurer.
Build the trader pack from the requester's checklist
Who may ask for each type of evidence
| Evidence route | What it may demonstrate | Who may request it |
|---|---|---|
| Food-business registration and inspection information | The food operation is registered and current local-authority information is available | Local authority, venue, event or market |
| Food-safety system, allergen and training records | How food risks and staff competence are managed | Environmental health, organiser or site operator |
| Street-trading, event or site permission | Permission for the exact location, dates, hours and activities | Council, landowner, market or organiser |
| LPG inspection record or CP44-style evidence | The declared mobile installation and appliances were inspected within the recorded scope | Organiser, council, insurer, site or contract |
| Electrical maintenance, inspection or test records | How fixed and portable electrical equipment is kept safe | Venue, organiser, insurer or responsible person |
| Fire-risk assessment and emergency information | Hazards, controls, evacuation and staff arrangements have been recorded | Fire authority, organiser, site or enforcing authority |
| Insurance certificates | Public, employee or vehicle risks are covered within the relevant policy | Employees, inspectors, venue, organiser or council |
Before asking Upkeepone for the LPG visit
Send the unit, installation and requester details together
This lets the enquiry be checked against coverage, engineer categories and the actual record requested. Photographs help with scoping but do not replace attendance.
Postcode-qualified LPG enquiries
Where Upkeepone can consider mobile catering gas work
Regular work covers London, Essex and Kent. Hertfordshire, Surrey, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Sussex can be considered when the right LPG mobile-catering trade is available. Other UK areas are considered by request after the unit, scope, postcode and deadline have been checked.
Upkeepone can help with the gas-work route described on this page. Food registration, licensing, fire assessment, insurance and road-vehicle decisions remain with the relevant business, competent adviser, council, organiser, insurer or authority.
If LPG may be escaping
Use the LPG supplier's emergency route—not a routine paperwork enquiry
Keep people away and do not create an ignition source
If safe, turn off the supply, extinguish flames, avoid electrical switches and ventilate the unit. Contact the LPG supplier immediately. If there is fire, immediate danger, an uncontrolled release or any doubt, leave the area and call 999.
Do not use the installation until a competent person says it is safe. Upkeepone's routine contact routes are not an emergency-reporting service.
Continue with the closest gas-work route
Mobile catering LPG inspection and planning guides
Current official starting points
Check each requirement with its responsible authority
Registration, equipment and trader-pack questions
Mobile catering certificate FAQs
What certificates do I need for mobile catering in the UK?
Must I register a mobile catering food business before trading?
Is a Level 2 food hygiene certificate legally compulsory?
Is a CP44 certificate always legally required for mobile catering?
Who can inspect LPG appliances in a food truck or catering trailer?
Is annual PAT testing a legal requirement for mobile catering?
Does every mobile catering unit need an annual EICR?
Do mobile caterers need a written fire-risk assessment?
Is public liability insurance the same as Employers' Liability insurance?
What documents should I send an event organiser before trading?
Need the LPG part of the trader pack?
Send the unit, every appliance, LPG supply, postcode and deadline
Upkeepone can check the gas enquiry against coverage, relevant LPG mobile-catering categories, the requested record and current availability before attendance is agreed.
An enquiry does not confirm availability, price, scope, a satisfactory inspection result or acceptance by an event, insurer, council or other requester.
