Running a catering business means dealing with food, people, and events. That also means things can go wrong. Knowing the difference between public liability insurance and product liability insurance can help protect your business from costly problems.
We help explain both types of cover, so you can make sure your catering work has the protection it needs.
What Is Public Liability Insurance for Caterers?
Public liability insurance is designed to protect your catering business if someone gets hurt or property gets damaged because of your work. This can include:
- A guest slipping on a spilt drink
- Hot food or equipment causing injury
- Damage to a venue’s furniture or fittings
If an accident happens, public liability insurance can cover legal fees and compensation costs. Many event organisers, councils, and venues ask for this cover as part of their terms. Even small catering businesses or pop-up food stalls may need it.
What Is Product Liability Insurance for Caterers?
Product liability insurance focuses on the food and drinks you serve. If a customer becomes ill or injured after eating your food, this type of cover could help.
For example:
- A guest suffers food poisoning
- An allergic reaction happens because labels were incorrect
- Contaminated products cause harm
Even with care and hygiene, mistakes can occur. Product liability insurance offers financial protection if a claim arises linked to the products you supply.
Which Insurance Does a Catering Business Need?
Both types of cover can be important. While public liability insurance looks after injuries or damage linked to your service or set-up, product liability insurance handles claims linked to the food or drink served.
For example:
- At a wedding, a table is damaged (public liability)
- At a market stall, a customer falls ill after eating (product liability)
Often, both types of cover come as part of a catering insurance package. This helps protect your business from a wide range of risks.
Is Insurance Always Required?
Insurance may be a legal requirement if you employ staff, in which case employers’ liability insurance would apply. While public liability and product liability are not legally required in all cases, many venues and organisers insist on them.
If no insurance is in place, your business could face big legal costs if something goes wrong. Arranging cover helps provide peace of mind and ensures your business can keep trading smoothly.
How Much Cover Might Be Needed?
The right level of cover depends on:
- Size of the events you cater for
- Number of guests
- Type of food and services provided
We help businesses arrange the right type of cover and amount of cover. Whether running a mobile coffee van or catering large events, we can help find tailored insurance that suits your setup.
Why Work with a Broker?
As brokers, we help catering businesses arrange insurance that fits their needs. By combining public liability insurance and product liability insurance cover in one policy, we make sure everything important is protected.
This can help avoid confusion, save time, and give both business owners and their clients financial protection in case an insurance claim happens.