Do I need to register my food truck with the council?

Yes. A food truck is a food business and must be registered with your council at least 28 days before you start trading. Registration is free.

What licence do I need for a food truck in the UK?

You need to register as a food business, and to trade on the street or other public land you usually need a street trading licence or consent from the council. Selling alcohol needs a separate licence.

Do I need a food hygiene certificate?

It isn't a legal requirement, but everyone who handles food must be trained in food hygiene. Most food truck owners take a Level 2 course, and many organisers expect it.

What power does a food truck need?

It depends on what runs on electricity. Most UK food vans cook on gas and can often manage on an ordinary 13 A socket for the fridges, lights and extraction. Vans that cook on electricity usually need a 16 A or 32 A commando hook-up. Know exactly what you need before you accept a booking.

How do I get bookings for my food truck?

Through festivals and markets, weddings, private parties, companies and platforms like Nuento. Good photos and fast replies make a big difference.

Can I drive my food truck anywhere?

Not always: London has the ULEZ, several English cities have Clean Air Zones, and Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have Low Emission Zones. What that means for your van, and how the charges work, is covered in the article on licences and rules.

Can I hire out my food truck without staff on Nuento?

No. On Nuento, customers always book the food truck with food and staff.

Suppliers

How to start a food truck business in the UK: everything you need to know

There are many routes to your own food truck. Some people start with a second-hand burger van and a good idea, others build a catering trailer from scratch. But everyone has to work through the same questions: which vehicle? What power? Which licences? And how do you actually make money from it?

This page is Nuento's guide for food truck owners in the UK. Each section gives you the short answer to the questions food truck owners ask most often.

Always check the current rules
Rules, fees and requirements change, and some of them differ from council to council and between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. This page is a starting point and doesn't replace the official sources. Always check the current rules with the authorities before you make decisions:

Food Standards Agency – Register a food business
GOV.UK – Street trading licence (England and Wales)
GOV.UK – Register for VAT
HSE – Gas safety for employers
Your local council – food registration, street trading and licensing

Last checked: 5 November 2026

Your route from idea to first booking

Test your concept before you invest big: hire a van for a while, or do a pop-up with a gazebo or stall, and try yourself out at a market or a few private parties.
Find your vehicle: new, used, van or trailer.
Sort out power, gas and water.
Register your food business with your council at least 28 days before you start trading, and get your food safety procedures in place.
Take out the right insurance.
Work out the numbers and set your prices.
Get found by customers: with a good website, advertising, social media and platforms like Nuento – and apply yourself to festivals and markets.

Food truck or catering trailer – which should you choose?

The first big choice is the vehicle itself. There are two main types:

A food truck or food van has its own engine. It's usually a converted van or lorry with the kitchen built in, so you drive the whole thing to the event.
A catering trailer has no engine. You tow it behind your car or van and unhitch it on site, which frees up your vehicle for other jobs.

A trailer is often cheaper to buy, but check that your car can tow it and that your licence covers it. If you passed your car test from 1 January 1997, you can now tow trailers up to 3,500 kg maximum authorised mass, see GOV.UK – Towing with a car.

A second-hand burger van or catering trailer can be a cheap way in, but one in poor condition can quickly eat up the savings in repairs. Before you buy, check the chassis and brakes, the water and waste water system, the extraction, the gas installation and the electrics, and ask for the latest gas and electrical safety certificates. And check that the layout suits the food you want to make.

How much does it cost to start a food truck in the UK?

The biggest item is usually the vehicle and equipment. But budget for registration, insurance, your first stock, a card reader, marketing and a buffer as well. Many food truck owners say the first year is the hardest, because takings depend on the season and the weather.

The figures below are indicative price levels from adverts and suppliers' own websites, retrieved in November 2026. Prices vary a lot from vehicle to vehicle.

Item	Approx. price	Remark
The vehicle	approx. £4,500–£100,000	From a used catering trailer to a new, fully fitted unit. Finance is often available
Kitchen equipment and fit-out	approx. £500–£15,000	From a countertop fryer and fridge to a full stainless steel fit-out
Gas and electrical safety checks	approx. £200–£1,200	Rough estimate: from annual checks to a new gas installation with certificate
Generator	approx. £2,000–£4,800	Only if there isn't enough power on site
Card reader	approx. £25–£79	For example SumUp, Zettle or Square. Plus a fee per payment
Food hygiene course	approx. £12–£30 per person	Online Level 2 course
Logo and van wrap	approx. £500–£5,000	From a partial wrap to a full wrap
First stock	approx. £300–£1,000	Rough estimate: ingredients and packaging for the first few events
Insurance, first year	approx. £300–£2,000	Rough estimate for liability and vehicle cover. Get quotes
Total startup budget (rough estimate)	approx. £6,300–£124,300	The sum of the rows above, excluding the generator

Power, gas and water

Power is what customers ask about most, and what most often goes wrong on the day. In the UK, most food vans and catering trailers cook on gas (LPG): the griddle, the fryer and often the water heater. Electricity then only runs the fridges, lights, extraction, water pump and card reader, so many vans can manage on an ordinary 13 A socket, which makes them the easiest to book. If you cook on electricity, you'll usually need a 16 A or 32 A commando hook-up. Know exactly what you need, and have a plan for what to do if there isn't enough power on site: a generator, batteries or more of your cooking on gas. Nuento's guide to power and gas takes you through it step by step.

If you use gas (LPG), the installation must be checked by a Gas Safe registered engineer who is qualified for mobile catering and LPG before first use, and checked regularly after that. Organisers will often ask to see your gas safety certificate, and electrical appliances should be safety tested (PAT). See HSE – Gas safety for employers and Gas Safe Register – Commercial catering.

You also need hot and cold running water for handwashing and a system for waste water.

What licences do you need for a food truck in the UK?

There are four things in particular you need to get right:

Food business registration. Register with the council where your truck is normally kept overnight, at least 28 days before you start trading. It's free and can't be refused, see Food Standards Agency – Register a food business.
Food safety and hygiene inspection. You need written food safety procedures based on HACCP, and staff who handle food must be trained in food hygiene. A Level 2 course is the usual way, though a certificate isn't a legal requirement. An environmental health officer from the council will inspect you, and you get a food hygiene rating from 0 to 5. In Scotland the scheme is the Food Hygiene Information Scheme (Pass or Improvement Required).
Street trading licence or consent. If you want to trade on the street or other public land, you usually need a licence or consent from the council. Every council has its own rules, fees and waiting lists, see GOV.UK – Street trading licence. On private land, you need the landowner's permission.
Gas and electrical safety. Gas safety checks by a qualified Gas Safe engineer, PAT testing and risk assessments. Event organisers usually ask to see the paperwork.

Selling alcohol needs a licence too: for a one-off event, a Temporary Event Notice (£21, applied for at least 10 working days before), or a premises licence and a personal licence. If you play music in public, check whether you need TheMusicLicence from PPL PRS.

What insurance does a food truck need?

Some insurance is required by law, and some is so useful that most food trucks take it out:

Vehicle insurance (required by law). Every vehicle on the road must be insured. If you have a catering trailer, ask your insurer how it's covered both when it's being towed and when it's parked.
Employers' liability insurance (required by law if you have employees). It must cover at least £5 million, see GOV.UK – Employers' liability insurance.
Public liability insurance. Covers you if you injure someone or damage their property, for example if a guest trips over a cable. Most councils and event organisers expect at least £5 million of cover.
Product liability insurance. Covers you if your food makes someone ill. It's often sold together with public liability.
Equipment and stock cover. Covers the kitchen equipment and stock against fire, theft and damage.

Ask your organisers too: festivals and larger events often set requirements for your cover and ask for proof.

When does a food truck need to register for VAT?

You must register for VAT if your VAT-taxable turnover over the last 12 months goes over £90,000, or if you expect it to go over £90,000 in the next 30 days. After that you must add VAT to your prices. Below the threshold, you can choose to register voluntarily, for example to reclaim VAT on your purchases. Hot takeaway food and catering are standard-rated, see VAT Notice 709/1.

Keep your receipts from day one, including payouts from platforms and festivals, so your accounts don't turn into a puzzle at the end.

Specialise in one thing, and do it really well. A sharp concept is easier for customers to remember and choose than a menu that tries to do a bit of everything. Burgers, pizza, tacos and BBQ are popular for parties. Festival and market organisers, though, rarely want two trucks with the same food, so a sharp and distinctive concept can be your ticket in. Think about how many portions you can make per hour, too, and whether the menu can be adapted for allergies and special diets.

How do you price your food truck?

Do it in two steps:

Start with your own costs. Work backwards from ingredients, packaging, fuel, gas, wages, fees and pitch fees, so you know what a booking needs to bring in at the very least. The most common mistake is copying other people's prices without knowing whether they cover your own costs.
Then compare with the market. Use the table below to see whether your price is realistic. If you're well above it, customers need to be able to see why. If you're well below it, check whether you've forgotten a cost.

Set one price list that holds up on your typical bookings, and work out markets and festivals one by one: say no when the pitch fee eats the whole margin.

What customers typically pay for a food truck on Nuento

Use the figures to hold your own price up against the market. They're the total price the customer pays, staff and set-up included. Travel is extra.

Type	50 guests	100 guests
Food truck (all types)	approx. £930 (approx. £18.60 per guest)	approx. £1,610 (approx. £16.10 per guest)
Street food (all types)	approx. £900 (approx. £18.00 per guest)	approx. £1,540 (approx. £15.40 per guest)
Pizza	approx. £780 (approx. £15.60 per guest)	approx. £1,400 (approx. £14.00 per guest)

Median prices from suppliers on Nuento across the UK. Retrieved 5 November 2026.

Notice that the price per guest falls as the number of guests goes up. That's because many food trucks work with a fixed base price plus a price per head, and the base price is shared out over more guests. An example: with a base price of £300 and £12 per head, 50 guests cost £900 (£18 per guest), while 100 guests cost £1,500 (£15 per guest). The figures are made up to show the principle.

If you'd like to see how other food trucks have set up their menus and prices, see food trucks on Nuento.

Where do food truck bookings come from?

Broadly speaking, bookings come in two ways:

Customers find you. Companies and private customers planning a summer party, a Christmas party, a wedding or a birthday. They find you through your website, advertising, social media, Google and platforms like Nuento – or because they've met you before. With this kind of booking, you know your takings in advance, because the customer has told you the number of guests and chosen a menu before you say yes.
You find the customers. Festivals, street food markets such as KERB, food festivals, Christmas markets and a regular pitch. Here you often pay a percentage of takings, power and a pitch fee, and your takings aren't guaranteed. On the other hand, it's a good way to get known.

Whichever way customers come, the same things make them choose you: good photos of the truck and the food, clear prices, fast replies and good reviews.

The event day

The day itself is where you win your next booking. Agree arrival time, set-up, power and space in advance. Be ready for allergies and more guests than agreed. A clean and tidy truck, good service and a smile will take you a long way.

Keep to time, too. Late service is one of the things customers complain about most after an event. It can often be saved if you stay ahead on the day: tell the host as soon as you can see things running late, and make it up to the guests on the spot, for example with an extra portion, a drink or a dessert.

How do you keep takings up outside the peak season?

Summer is peak season, but autumn and winter also have plenty of events: Christmas parties, corporate events, birthdays, weddings and Christmas markets. Here's how to get your truck ready for them:

Show that you do winter too. Use photos from autumn and winter events on your profile and social media, for example the truck lit up in the dark or a cosy set-up for a Christmas party.
Create a winter menu. Dishes that suit the cold and Christmas, for example hearty soups, pies and mash, hog roast rolls with stuffing and apple sauce, mince pies and hot chocolate, or a Christmas version of your signature dish.
Move the serving indoors. Cook in the truck outside, and serve the food as a buffet indoors when it's coldest. That way guests can stay in the warm while you still use your own kitchen.

Why sell through Nuento?

Nuento is mobile catering with staff on site: food trucks, mobile bars and chefs who cook and serve the food at the customer's event – never delivery of ready-made food. Nuento is live in the UK, and customers rate Nuento 4.9 out of 5 on Trustpilot. As a food truck owner, you get:

Free to join. It costs nothing to be on Nuento, and there's no subscription. You only pay a service fee on the bookings you choose to accept: 15% on bookings that come through Nuento.
Bookings from private customers and companies. People who are already looking for a food truck for their party or event.
Payment handled for you. Nuento handles the payment from the customer.
Transparent prices for the customer. The customer sees the full price before they book.

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