Q&A: Can I serve pub food from a domestic kitchen?

I am considering buying a pub which is currently wet sales only, but which has a very good domestic kitchen. Can I serve food from this kitchen or will it need to be upgraded to a catering kitchen?

There is no strict definition of either a catering or a domestic kitchen. However, you will need to bear in mind that any room which is used for the preparation, service or storage of food must comply with the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995.

These require the areas in question to meet minimum standards of hygiene and cleanliness and also deal with other matters as wide ranging as the number of wash basins to be provided and the minimum standards of equipment to be used. The regulations are too lengthy to go into detail here, but you will have to ensure that you comply with them. If you contact your local environmental health officer, he or she will be able to provide you with further advice and help in bringing the kitchen up to the required standard.