A restaurant carries more compliance weight than almost any small business: kitchens, allergens, alcohol, staff, fire and waste. One missed rule change can mean a failed inspection, a damaging rating, or a fine that wipes out a month's profit.
Your council's environmental health officers can inspect unannounced. Serious breaches of the Food Safety Act 1990 can carry unlimited fines and prosecution, and your result is published online for customers to see.
Displaying your Food Hygiene Rating is mandatory in Wales and Northern Ireland and voluntary in England, while Scotland uses a 'Pass / Improvement Required' scheme. Either way, customers can look it up online before they visit.
Under Natasha's Law, food prepared and pre-packed on-site (PPDS) must carry a full ingredients list with the 14 major allergens emphasised, and you must give accurate allergen information for everything you sell.
To sell alcohol you need a premises licence and a Designated Premises Supervisor holding a personal licence under the Licensing Act 2003. Breaching conditions or serving under-18s can trigger a licence review and closure.
A current fire risk assessment is a legal requirement under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, with extra duties under the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 for many premises.
General duties to protect staff and customers apply under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, with reportable incidents under RIDDOR. The HSE and your council both enforce.
National Minimum and Living Wage rates change every April, alongside holiday pay and right-to-work checks. Underpaying — even by accident — can mean penalties and public naming.
Food and allergen offences can bring heavy fines and prosecution; licensing breaches can cost you the right to trade. For a restaurant, staying current isn't admin — it's protecting the whole business.
ScanToComply watches the official the UK sources daily and warns you by SMS and email the moment something changes.
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Local authorities set and enforce many of these rules, so requirements differ by area. See the compliance guide for your city:
Inspections are usually unannounced. your local council and national regulators can visit at any time — a new business, a complaint, or a previous problem all make a visit more likely.
Displaying your Food Hygiene Rating is mandatory in Wales and Northern Ireland and voluntary in England, while Scotland uses a 'Pass / Improvement Required' scheme. Either way, customers can look it up online before they visit.
Drift — a standard quietly changes and nobody notices until an inspection. Food safety, allergens and alcohol licensing are the highest-stakes areas to keep current.
We watch the official the UK government and regulator sources that affect restaurants every day and alert you by SMS and email the moment something changes — so you act before an inspector does. Start free for 14 days, no card needed.
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