Volunteer at All Things Fungi Festival

Food Business Guidance

a) Food Business Registration

All new food businesses in the UK must register with their local authority at least 28 days before they intend to commence trading. You should contact your Local Environmental Health Department for details on how to register. Food hygiene and standards inspections of food premises are a legal obligation placed on food authorities and an inspection will be carried once you are trading.

b) Food Hygiene Ratings

Food traders wishing to operate at All Things Fungi must have achieved a ‘Food Hygiene Rating Scheme’ (FHRS) score of 3 or above at their last local authority food hygiene inspection as a minimum.
New food business traders should contact their local authority regarding their food hygiene inspection and Food Hygiene Rating Scheme score.

c) Food Safety Management (HACCP)

HACCP stands for ‘Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point’. It is an internationally recognised and recommended system of food safety management. It focuses on identifying the ‘critical points’ in a process where food safety problems (or ‘hazards’) could arise and putting steps in place to prevent things going wrong. This is sometimes referred to as ‘controlling hazards’. Keeping records is also an important part of HACCP systems.

As a food business operator you must:

• ensure that all food is sold in a hygienic manner;
• identify food safety hazards;
• understand which steps in your operation are critical for food safety;
• make sure that at these steps safety controls are in place, maintained and reviewed.

Food safety hazards are anything, which may cause harm to their customers through illness or injury. This is the potential to cause food poisoning, the presence in food of foreign material, such as glass or metal and chemical contamination.

The controls for these hazards do not have to be complex and there are a number of systems that can be used by food businesses to ensure that hazards are identified and ways found of controlling them. This approach will mean that food hygiene can be planned in easy steps giving a clearer focus on the controls that are important to the business.

There are a number of standard ‘documented food safety management systems’ in use, one example being ‘Safer Food Better Business’ which can be downloaded from the Food Standards Agency website www.food.gov.uk; or you may be able to use your own bespoke system. However, whichever system you choose to use must comply with the following requirements:

Article 5 of Regulation (EC) 852/2004 requires food business operators to put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) principles to ensure the food they produce is safe.

ALL THINGS FUNGI FESTIVAL – FOOD SAFETY QUESTIONNAIRE 2025

Some foods which require additional control measures such as burgers to be served less than thoroughly cooked, sushi and oysters etc. will require additional consideration to ensure specific legislative requirements and industry guidance are met. Unless you are able to All Things Fungi Food Health and Safety Team that adequate controls will be in place throughout we would not permit such products to be sold at the event.

d) Design and Construction

The overall aim of the design and construction of any food premises including mobile/temporary stalls and vehicles is the provision of a safe working environment with a logical forward progression of work. The design must eliminate risk of cross-contamination of foods at all stages of preparation, processing, storage, display, delivery and sale. Design and construction of the premises must also prevent the entry and infestation by pests or domestic animals.

• Stalls must be fully covered to top and sides including any food preparation/equipment/food storage areas. This must include all extensions to food preparation/storage/wash up areas to protect food and catering equipment from contamination.
• Food displayed in customer areas should be suitably covered and/or screened to prevent contamination.
• Adequate provision must be made for the safe storage of food waste and other refuse, free from nuisance and infestation and maintaining such until collection.
• Rooms/areas where food is prepared, treated or processed should generally have surface finishes that are smooth, impervious and durable and which can be kept clean and, where necessary, disinfected.
• There must be an adequate supply of potable water (i.e. mains drinking water).
• Reusable water storage containers must be regularly disinfected to prevent contamination.
• Sufficient sinks and washing up equipment must be provided for food preparation use and washing of pots, utensils, etc.
• Suitable food grade antibacterial sanitizers/disinfectants should be available to facilitate cleaning and disinfection. (BSEN 1276 or BSEN 13697)
• Chafing dishes should be used for hot holding purposes only and are not considered an appropriate means of reheating food.
• Coolboxes used for chilled storage of high risk foods must be appropriately packed with ice blocks and capable of maintaining temperature control (ideally below 5°C) for the duration of the market/event as necessary.
• Traders handling/preparing high risk foods must have suitable temperature monitoring equipment available such as an independent probe thermometer.
• Adequate natural and/or artificial lighting must be available to facilitate safe food handling practices.
• Adequate natural and/or mechanical ventilation must be available to this is to reduce high humidity, room temperatures, cooking odours and airborne particles. Hot food traders must ensure smoke or odours from cooking activities do not pose a nuisance.
• Conveniently accessible wash hand facilities must be provided in areas where food is prepared, treated or processed dependent on the size and nature of the business.

Please note – All sinks and wash hand basins must be supplied with hot and cold or appropriately mixed water supply. Soap and hygienic means of drying hands must also be readily available at wash hand basins. Suitable arrangement must be in place for the drainage of waste water. The use of disposable gloves and/or the use of antibacterial hand gels are not an accepted alternative to the provision of hygienic hand cleansing facilities.

e) Food Hygiene Training

Food Handlers must receive appropriate supervision, and be instructed and/or trained in food hygiene, to enable them to handle food safely. The training must be appropriate for the type of food activities undertaken. For traders preparing open foods this training will be to a minimum of level 2 food safety in catering (or equivalent) rather than a ‘retail’ food qualification. Those responsible for developing and maintaining the business’s food safety procedures, based on HACCP principles.

f) Food Standards

All food sold at All Things Fungi must be labelled in accordance with the relevant food labelling and information requirements.
All food businesses must provide information about allergenic ingredients used in foods sold or provided by them. Further information on how you must provide allergen information to your customers can be obtained from the Food Standards Agency website:
www.food.gov.uk/business-industry/allergy-guide

g) Fire Hazards

All combustible materials that could promote fire spread need to be identified and stored away from any ignition source. Structures, curtains and drapes should be treated with a flame retardant.
Appropriate fire extinguishers must be provided and checked every 12 months. The following is required:

• Stalls cooking food – 4kg dry powder or four litres of foam. If deep fat frying is taking place, it is recommended that you fit a flame failure device and also a suitable fire blanket
• Stalls with generators/electrical equipment – 4kg dry powder or Carbon Dioxide (CO₂)
• Stalls not cooking food – 4.5 litres of water

Traders should undertake a fire risk assessment to ensure appropriate fire safety equipment is available commensurate to the size and nature of their business activities.

h) Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)

Gas fixtures and systems require appropriate certification from a competent person who is gas safety registered for LPG commercial appliances. Gas appliances should be checked routinely.
Traders wishing to use LPG must provide evidence of their LPG certification before they are permitted to trade.
Cooking equipment must be sited to the rear or side of stalls on stable ground, with barriers to protect the public from burns and flame. BBQ’s (if permitted) must be sited away from any flammable material.

Please note – The use of charcoal is restricted and the possibility of using it should be discussed directly with the event organiser for approval.