Write an event management plan

In this section, detail your arrangements for the types of food that will be on offer at your event e.g. mobile caterers selling hot food, buffet food, pre-packed foods.

It is your responsibility to ensure you use competent and compliant caterers. All mobile caterers and food stalls should be registered with their local authority environmental health department have a minimum hygiene rating of 4 – Good. This is to ensure that only those caterers that are legally compliant and are maintaining good food safety standards are involved with your event.

When making arrangements with a caterer it is important that you request evidence of their hygiene rating and that they are able to properly brief you on the arrangements they will have in place for preparing food safely.

You need to be sure that you have done all you reasonably can to ensure the event is run safely. This includes the provision of food that is safe to eat and is not going to cause illness or harm to anyone. This is known as due diligence.

One way to show that controls are in place, is to arrange checks of the caterers on site at your event. This could include checking they have hand washing facilities, hot water and cleaning equipment, and refrigeration for storing ingredients.

We have put together a food safety checklist with some of the checks that could be carried out by the event team.

As you finalise the arrangements for the event, ensure you have a list of all the caterers that will be coming.