Takeaway Insurance

What is takeaway insurance?

Takeaway insurance is a tailored policy for takeaway restaurants that combines the covers deemed appropriate for your business, such as employers' liability, public liability, premises cover and more. Rather than a single fixed product, it is a range of policies and add-ons that you pick and choose from to suit how you trade.

Whether you run a pizza house, a Chinese takeaway or a local fish and chip shop, the same core risks apply: damage to the premises, theft of equipment, accidents involving customers or staff, and problems with the food you sell. A takeaway policy is designed to protect your livelihood against those everyday perils in one place.

Who needs takeaway insurance?

Any business that prepares and sells food to take away should have cover, because every takeaway in the country is exposed to damage, theft and accidents regardless of whether it trades during the day or late at night.

If you employ anyone at all, employers' liability insurance is a legal requirement, and since very few people can run a successful takeaway alone, that applies to most owners. Beyond the legal minimum, the safety of your business, staff and customers should be a top priority, and the rest of the policy is about making sure a burglary, vandalism, fire or a customer claim does not wipe out your income.

What does takeaway insurance cover?

A good takeaway policy will usually include public liability, employers' liability, product liability, contents, business interruption and, if you own the building, buildings insurance.

• Public liability protects you if a customer has an accident on your premises, covering compensation and legal costs.
• Employers' liability covers you if a staff member is injured or falls ill as a result of working for you.
• Product liability covers legal costs and compensation if a customer is injured or becomes ill from eating your food, including food poisoning, allergic reactions and contamination.
• Contents insurance covers your cooking equipment, fittings and furniture against damage or theft.
• Business interruption covers loss of earnings if damage to the property means you cannot open.
• Buildings insurance covers damage or vandalism to the structure, such as walls, floors and ceilings.

What is not covered by takeaway insurance?

Takeaway insurance only covers what you choose to include, so anything left out of your policy is not protected. Because the cover is built from separate parts, a policy with only employers' and public liability would not pay out for stolen equipment, lost earnings after a fire, or a food-related illness claim unless contents, business interruption and product liability were added.

Buildings cover is another common gap. If you rent your premises, the landlord should deal with buildings insurance, so your policy would not normally cover the structure itself. Delivery is also separate: a standard takeaway policy does not cover your drivers on the road, and they need their own fast food delivery insurance.

Do you need insurance to deliver takeaways in the UK?

Yes. Although delivery apps have changed the fast food market, plenty of takeaways still employ their own delivery drivers, and every one of those drivers must have the relevant fast food delivery insurance in place.

Without the correct insurance it is illegal for them to deliver your food, and as the business owner you could face prosecution if you have not carried out the proper checks. Delivery cover is separate from your takeaway policy, so check each driver's insurance before they start.

Is employers' liability insurance a legal requirement for a takeaway?

Yes. Employers' liability insurance is the only part of a takeaway policy required by law, and you must have it if you employ any staff.

It covers you if a member of staff sustains an injury or illness because of working for you, which in a hot, busy kitchen is a real possibility. The other covers in a takeaway policy, such as public liability, product liability and contents, are optional, but most owners treat them as essential given the risks of handling, cooking and selling food.

What affects the cost of takeaway insurance?

The cost of takeaway insurance depends on which covers you include and the details of your business, so there is no single price. A policy that bundles public, product and employers' liability with contents, buildings and business interruption will cost more than liability cover alone.

Because the policy is made up of separate parts and add-ons, the simplest way to keep the price sensible is to include only the covers that match how you trade, and to compare quotes for the same set of covers across a panel of insurers rather than ringing providers one by one.

How do I compare takeaway insurance quotes?

Fill in one short form with your business details and you can compare live quotes online from a panel of UK business insurers, then purchase the policy you are happy with.

Quote Goat provides access to a comparison service rather than selling insurance itself, so you see the options side by side instead of spending hours calling individual providers. Before you start, decide which covers you need, such as public liability, product liability, employers' liability, contents, buildings and business interruption, so you are comparing like for like.