UK Restaurant Insurance Quotes
Restaurant Insurance
Business insurance for restaurants, cafés and bistros, covering your contents and kitchen equipment, stock, your public and employers’ liability, and food liability.
Why compare restaurant insurance with us?
- Compare contents, stock and liability cover for your restaurant
- Suitable for restaurants, cafés and bistros
What is restaurant insurance?
Restaurant insurance is a business package for a restaurant, café or bistro that brings the covers a food business needs into one policy, protecting premises contents and commercial kitchen equipment and the stock of food and drink against fire, flood, theft and accidental damage. It combines public liability for injury to a customer or damage to their property, employers' liability where you have staff, product (food) liability for food poisoning or an allergic reaction from what you serve, cover for stock deterioration if a fridge or freezer breaks down, and business interruption to replace lost income if you cannot trade after an insured event. Cover is arranged around the way you cook, the value of your equipment and stock and the covers you add. For most restaurants and cafés it is the single policy that keeps the business trading when something goes wrong.
Restaurant insurance covers a wide range of food businesses because the risk itself varies so much. A restaurant, a café, a coffee shop, a bistro and a bar that serves food all sit within restaurant insurance, but each carries a different underwriting picture. Insurer appetite varies significantly by the cooking methods used, staff numbers and location, which is why specialist broker placement matters more than a mainstream off-the-shelf quote.
Policies are usually built up from the covers each restaurant needs. Contents and commercial kitchen equipment, the stock of food and drink and business interruption form the core, then the liabilities are added on top. Every restaurant that welcomes customers should hold public liability for injury to a customer or damage to their property, commonly at £1m, £2m or £5m, and product (food) liability for what you serve. Employers' liability is a legal requirement the moment you take on staff. The exact mix is priced against the real business rather than treating every restaurant the same way.
Restaurants prepare and serve food, so the liability profile is different to a shop that only sells goods. Brokers on our panel understand why food poisoning and allergic reactions drive product liability claims, how deep-fat frying and flambé raise the commercial-kitchen fire risk, how the number of covers, staff and the value of equipment and stock shape the premium, how kitchen fire protection and security can bring the price down, and why business interruption should reflect the time it would take to reopen. They price the policy against how you actually work rather than a fixed online figure.
Related restaurant cover
How restaurant insurance works
Tell us about your restaurant
The way you cook, the value of your equipment and stock, number of covers and staff, location, kitchen fire protection and any past claims. The more accurately you declare these details, the tighter the quotes the specialist underwriting panel can send back.
Compare specialist restaurant quotes
Your details go to brokers who underwrite food and hospitality risks daily. They price contents and kitchen equipment, public and product (food) liability, employers' liability and business interruption against your specific restaurant and menu.
Choose your cover and stay protected
Pick the policy that fits your restaurant. Core contents, kitchen equipment and liability cover, with product (food) liability, business interruption, stock deterioration and glass or shopfront cover added where you need them.
What does restaurant insurance cover?
A restaurant policy brings the covers a food business needs into one place, from your kitchen kit to the food you serve.
Cookers, fryers, fridges, freezers, furniture and tills, covered against fire, flood, theft and damage.
Covers claims from the food you serve, such as food poisoning or an allergic reaction. The cover a food business needs most, and one a shop policy does not include.
Food and drink stock, including frozen or chilled stock spoiled if a fridge or freezer breaks down or the power fails.
Protects you if a customer is injured or their property is damaged, such as a slip on a wet floor or a scald from a hot drink.
Required by law once you employ anyone, including part-time and casual staff.
Replaces lost income and covers extra costs if you cannot trade after an insured event such as a kitchen fire or flood.
What restaurant insurance does not cover
A restaurant policy is built around the way you cook, the value of your equipment and stock, how the premises are secured and the covers you choose to add. Once a loss falls outside those declared limits, or a claim breaks a policy condition, the policy stops paying out. Knowing where the cover ends matters as much as knowing what it includes, particularly because poor food hygiene, uncleaned kitchen extraction and optional covers left off the policy are among the most common reasons a restaurant claim is reduced or declined.
Wear, tear and gradual damage
Loss caused by ageing, general deterioration, slow-acting causes, rot, damp and corrosion falls outside the cover. Worn worktops, tired seating and ageing ovens, fryers and fridges are expected upkeep, not an insured event. Cover is for sudden and unforeseen damage, not the slow results of everyday use.
Poor food hygiene and food safety breaches
Product (food) liability usually pays only where you follow safe food practices. A food poisoning claim traced to poor temperature control, cross-contamination or a breach of food safety law is a common reason a claim is declined. Follow Food Standards Agency hygiene rules, keep your records and log fridge and freezer temperatures every day.
Allergen failures and mislabelling
An allergic reaction claim can be declined where you gave wrong or missing allergen information. Under Natasha's Law you must label pre-packed for direct sale food with a full ingredient and allergen list, and give accurate allergen details for every dish. Keep allergen matrices current and brief every member of staff who serves food.
Uncleaned kitchen extraction and missing fire protection
A fire claim can be cut or declined where the kitchen extraction and ductwork were not cleaned to the required schedule, or a fixed fire suppression system was missing or not serviced. Deep-fat fryers and grease build-up are a leading cause of restaurant fires. Keep extraction cleaning certificates and service your fire protection on time.
Outside catering and off-premises work unless added
Equipment, stock and food taken away from the premises for outside catering, a market stall or a pop-up event are not covered as standard. Public and product liability for food served off site may fall outside cover too. If you cater away from the restaurant, ask for outside catering and away-from-premises cover to be added rather than assuming it is already included.
Poor maintenance and general upkeep
Loss or injury traced to equipment you failed to service or maintain, such as a gas appliance without a valid Gas Safe check or electricals that were never PAT tested, is not met. Keeping ovens, fryers, fridges and electricals in safe working order is your responsibility, and insurers expect the upkeep to be done and recorded.
How much is excluded differs widely from one insurer to the next and from one restaurant to another. Always check the policy wording carefully on food safety conditions, kitchen fire protection requirements, stock values, security conditions and optional covers before buying. For cover against claims from customers injured in your restaurant, see our public liability insurance guide.
Restaurants and cafés we cover
From a small daytime café to a full table-service kitchen, cover can be arranged around how your venue trades.
Independent and chain restaurants of all cuisines.
Daytime cafés, coffee shops and tea rooms.
Casual, relaxed dining venues.
Higher-end restaurants with full table service.
Family restaurants and casual eateries.
Pubs where food is the main trade.
Bars and venues with a food offer.
Delis, food-led cafés and small eateries.
Not sure which fits? A specialist broker will match cover to how your kitchen and venue trade.
What affects restaurant insurance costs
Restaurant insurance premiums vary widely from one business to the next. A small café serving cold food and hot drinks sits in a very different bracket to a busy restaurant with deep-fat frying and flambé cooking and several staff. A small restaurant often pays from a couple of hundred pounds a year up into the low thousands, but the figure moves with the cooking methods you use, the number of covers, the staff you employ, the value of your equipment and stock, where you trade and how well the premises are protected. Understanding which of these factors drives the premium puts you in a better position to ask the right questions before buying.
Describe your cooking methods honestly at quote stage, and set the sums insured to cover the full cost of replacing your equipment, stock and fittings. Insurer appetite for restaurant risks differs more than most owners expect. Some insurers load or decline kitchens with heavy deep-fat frying, flambé or solid-fuel cooking. Others specialise in exactly those risks. A specialist broker knows which insurer fits which kitchen, which is why the same restaurant can produce quotes 30 to 50% apart across the market. Get the equipment and stock figures right too, because underinsurance triggers the average clause and cuts every claim payout proportionally.
MMC Restaurant Insurance Specialists, FCA-authorised (reg. 916241)
Your cooking methods
How you cook shapes the risk more than anything else. Cold food and hot drinks sit low, while deep-fat frying, flambé, chargrilling and solid-fuel cooking carry a higher chance of a kitchen fire. The more of these methods you use, the higher the fire risk and the premium.
Value of equipment and stock
Cover rates on the full cost of replacing your ovens, fryers, fridges, freezers, furniture and tills, and the stock of food and drink you hold. The more equipment and stock you carry, the more the policy costs, so set the sums insured to reflect the real figures.
Size, covers and staff
The size of the restaurant, the number of covers you seat and how many people work there feed straight into the premium. Employers' liability becomes a legal requirement the moment you take on staff, and every extra chef, waiter and kitchen porter adds more hands and more turnover, lifting the employers', public and product liability the policy has to cover.
Location and postcode
Local crime rates, footfall and flood risk all feed directly into rating, which is why a city-centre restaurant can cost many times more than one on a quiet parade. In the highest-risk postcodes, a history of theft or flooding brings larger premiums and, in some cases, higher excesses.
Claims history
Previous theft, fire, flood or food liability claims load the premium and can bring higher excesses or exclusions. A clean claims record over recent years is one of the clearest ways to keep the cost down, so keep good records, log your food safety checks and report incidents properly when they happen.
Security and kitchen fire protection
A monitored intruder alarm, CCTV, good-quality locks, fire suppression over the fryers and regular extraction cleaning all reduce the premium and help protect your equipment and stock. Meeting an insurer's minimum security and fire protection clauses also keeps cover valid at claim time.
Every restaurant is rated on its own cooking methods, equipment, stock, location and fire protection. Compare restaurant insurance quotes to see how your kitchen, staff and security shape the premium across our specialist broker panel.
How much does restaurant insurance cost?
The price you pay depends on how you cook, how big you are and the cover you choose. Here is what shapes a restaurant premium.
Cooking methods
Deep-fat frying and flambé raise the fire risk and the premium.
Size and covers
More seats and floor space mean more to insure.
Turnover
Higher takings raise the business interruption cover you need.
Number of staff
More employees means more employers' liability to cover.
Location and footfall
Area, crime rates and how busy you are all matter.
Kitchen fire protection
Suppression systems and extraction cleaning can reduce the premium.
Claims history
Past claims affect what you pay.
Levels of cover chosen
Higher public and product liability limits cost more.
How restaurant insurance works
Arranging cover for your restaurant is straightforward. Three simple steps take you from details to policy in place.
Restaurant cover options and legal requirements
Some parts of a restaurant policy are a legal duty and others simply protect the business you have built. This section sets out the main covers a restaurant needs, from employers', public and product (food) liability to contents, stock and lost income, and shows where the law sets the rules rather than leaving the choice to you. Open any section below to see what each cover does and when it applies.
Employers' liability: a legal requirement
Employers' liability insurance becomes a legal requirement the moment you take on staff, whether they are full time, part time, casual weekend cover or a family member on the payroll. The Employers' Liability Act 1969 sets a minimum of £5m of cover, and most restaurant policies arrange £10m as standard. It pays compensation and legal costs if a member of staff is injured or made ill because of the work they do for you, such as a kitchen burn or a slip on a wet floor.
The duty applies even to a single part-time waiter or kitchen porter. Trade without valid cover and you can be fined up to £2,500 for each day you are uninsured, and the certificate has to be available to your staff. See our restaurant insurance guide for how staff cover fits into a restaurant policy.
Public liability for customers in the restaurant
Public liability covers claims from customers or visitors who are injured, or whose property is damaged, because of your restaurant. A diner slipping on a wet floor or scalded by a hot drink is the classic example. Cover is commonly arranged at £1m, £2m or £5m, and a commercial landlord will often ask for a set limit.
It is not required by law, but few restaurants trade without it, and customers and landlords expect it as a matter of course. The right limit depends on how busy the restaurant is and what a commercial landlord asks for in the lease.
Product (food) liability for the food you serve
Product (food) liability responds to a claim that arises from the food and drink you serve: food poisoning from a contaminated dish, or an allergic reaction to an ingredient that was not flagged. It is the cover that sets a restaurant apart from an ordinary shop, and it is essential for anyone preparing and serving food to the public.
Allergen labelling law, including Natasha's Law and the PPDS rules for pre-packed for direct sale food, sits directly behind this cover, so accurate allergen information and good kitchen records matter at the point of a claim. Public liability sits alongside it for injury to a customer on the premises.
Restaurant contents and stock cover
Restaurant contents and stock cover protects your cookers, fryers, fridges, freezers, furniture, tables and tills, together with your stock of food and drink, against fire, flood, theft, escape of water and accidental damage. It can also pay for the deterioration of frozen or chilled stock when a fridge or freezer breaks down or the power fails, a risk an ordinary shop policy leaves out. The sum insured should reflect the full replacement value of your equipment and stock, not an average across the year.
Busy periods matter: cover is often arranged to step up before Christmas or a run of function bookings. See our restaurant insurance guide for how contents and stock limits are set.
Restaurant glass and frontage cover
Fixed glass is one of the most exposed parts of a restaurant. Glass and frontage cover pays to replace windows, the fascia and glazed doors after breakage, and can include the cost of boarding up and replacing any signage or lettering.
Cover usually extends to fixed glazed partitions and display counters inside the restaurant. A broken frontage can stop you trading until it is repaired, so fast glass replacement is a practical concern as much as a financial one.
Money and takings cover
Money cover protects cash, cheques and card vouchers taken by the restaurant, both on the premises during and outside trading hours and while the takings are being carried to the bank. Different limits usually apply to money in a locked safe, money in the till and money in transit.
Some policies also cover assault of the person carrying the takings. Following the cash-handling and banking routines set out in the policy is what keeps this cover valid at the point of a claim.
Business interruption for lost income
Business interruption replaces the income a restaurant loses when it cannot trade after an insured event such as a kitchen fire or flood. It covers lost gross profit and the extra costs of getting back to normal, for example renting temporary premises, over an agreed indemnity period.
The indemnity period should be long enough to find new premises, refit the kitchen and rebuild your custom, which for many restaurants is 12 to 24 months. Setting it too short is one of the most common gaps in a restaurant policy.
Conditions: kitchen fire protection and food safety
Insurers set conditions in return for cover on a commercial kitchen. These commonly cover fire protection around the cooking line, such as a fixed fire suppression system over the fryers and range and regular cleaning of the extraction ducting, alongside good door and window locks and an intruder alarm for the premises and stock.
Food businesses must also register with their local authority, follow Food Standards Agency hygiene rules and meet allergen labelling law. Meeting the fire and safety conditions can reduce the premium, but they are also warranties: if the suppression system is not maintained or the ducting is not cleaned, a fire claim can be refused. Honest disclosure at quote stage is essential, since the Insurance Act 2015 makes undisclosed material facts grounds for a claim to be reduced or avoided.
Each cover meets a different need, and some are set by law rather than left to choice. Compare restaurant insurance quotes to see how contents, liability and income cover are arranged for your restaurant across the MyMoneyComparison.com broker panel.
Who needs restaurant insurance?
Almost any restaurant or café trading from premises needs restaurant insurance, but the policy looks very different depending on the food you serve, how much kitchen equipment and stock you carry and how many staff you employ. A single package policy can bring together restaurant contents, product (food) liability, public liability, employers' liability and business interruption, so an insured event does not put the restaurant's income at risk. Employers' liability becomes a legal requirement the moment you take on staff.
Restaurants
Independent restaurants preparing and serving meals for a steady flow of covers. Cover typically needs restaurant contents and kitchen equipment, product (food) liability for the dishes you serve, public liability, and employers' liability for staff.
Cafés and coffee shops
Cafés and coffee shops serving hot drinks, breakfasts and light meals, often busy from open to close. Cover needs contents and equipment at replacement value, product (food) liability for the food and drink served, and public liability for customers on the premises.
Bistros and brasseries
Bistros and brasseries serving a table-service menu with a licensed bar. Insurers rate these on the cooking methods and turnover, so product (food) liability and kitchen fire protection matter to both the premium and the cover.
Fine and casual dining
Fine dining and casual or family dining restaurants working with busy kitchens, deep-fat frying and flambé. Cover centres on product (food) liability for food poisoning and allergic reactions, contents and stock against fire, flood, theft and damage, plus public liability.
Gastropubs and bars serving food
Gastropubs and bars serving food alongside drinks from a working kitchen. Product (food) liability matters most here, and insurers will ask about the menu, the cooking methods and the fire protection fitted over the cooking line.
Small eateries and food-led venues
Small eateries and food-led venues such as delis, sandwich bars and takeaways preparing food to order. Cover needs product (food) and public liability for what you serve, plus contents and stock cover for the equipment and food you hold.
Whatever you serve, cover should reflect how the restaurant actually trades. Compare restaurant insurance quotes to match the policy to your menu, staff and risk profile.
Restaurant insurance vs standard home or shop insurance
The two products are commonly confused but cover fundamentally different situations. Restaurant insurance is built around a business cooking and serving food, with the policy structured around commercial kitchen equipment, stock of food and drink, product (food) and public liability, cover for staff, and lost income. A home or ordinary shop policy covers a dwelling or a retailer selling goods, and it does not extend to commercial cooking risks, a commercial kitchen or product (food) liability. Running a restaurant on a home or standard shop policy is one of the most common reasons a claim is reduced or declined.
| Comparison | Restaurant insurance Cooking and serving food | Standard home or shop insurance No food or kitchen cover |
|---|---|---|
| How the premises are used | A restaurant cooking and serving food to customers, holding kitchen equipment, food stock and takings. Staff and members of the public are on site during opening hours | A private dwelling, or an ordinary shop selling goods over the counter. Neither is set up for food prepared and cooked in a commercial kitchen |
| Underwriting basis | Rated as a restaurant risk, with the menu and cooking methods, staff numbers, equipment and stock value, location and fire protection all declared to the insurer | Rated as a home or a standard shop. Commercial cooking risks and a commercial kitchen sit outside what the policy assumes and are excluded |
| Loss of income | Business interruption cover included, replacing lost income and covering extra costs while you cannot trade after a kitchen fire, flood or other insured event | A home policy has no trading income to protect, and a shop policy covers retail takings, not the income a restaurant loses when it cannot serve food |
| Liability cover | Product (food) liability for food poisoning and allergic reactions, public liability for injury to customers, plus employers' liability for staff. Commonly £1m, £2m or £5m | Personal or occupiers' liability only. Neither a home nor a standard shop policy covers product (food) liability for the meals a restaurant serves |
| Equipment and stock | Cookers, fryers, fridges, freezers, furniture and stock of food and drink covered against fire, flood, theft and damage, including deterioration of chilled and frozen stock if the refrigeration fails | Contents cover is for household belongings, and a shop policy covers goods for resale, not commercial kitchen equipment or the deterioration of perishable food stock |
| Glass and frontage | Frontage, fascia and fixed glass covered, including replacement after breakage. Money and takings on the premises and in transit can be added | Domestic glass only under a home policy. A standard shop policy does not reflect the shopfront, glazing and fittings a restaurant relies on |
| If you use the wrong product | Cover responds correctly, the claim is paid, and the policy matches the fact that the restaurant cooks and serves food to customers | Claim can be reduced or declined entirely. Running a restaurant on a home or standard shop policy is a material non-disclosure that can void the policy |
Important: Cover detail shown is indicative of how UK restaurant policies are typically structured. It is illustrative only and does not constitute a quotation or offer of insurance. Specific policy wording, sums insured, indemnity periods and exclusions vary by insurer and individual circumstances. MyMoneyComparison.com Ltd is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, FCA registration number 916241.
If you run a restaurant, a home or ordinary shop policy will not cover it correctly. Public liability insurance and full restaurant cover are arranged to match the way your restaurant actually trades.
Specialist Restaurant Insurance
Specialist restaurant insurance comparison since 2013
Since 2013, MyMoneyComparison.com has helped UK restaurants find cover without the runaround. Whether you run a restaurant, a café, a bistro or a coffee shop, or you serve food from a gastropub or bar, our specialist broker panel underwrites food and hospitality businesses every day. Compare specialist restaurant insurance from a panel that understands restaurant contents and commercial kitchen equipment, food and drink stock, public liability, employers' liability, product (food) liability and business interruption across the full range of UK restaurant risks.
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Everything You Need to Know
Detailed answers to help you understand more about restaurant insurance.
What is restaurant insurance?
Restaurant insurance is a business package that protects a restaurant, café or bistro: its contents and commercial kitchen equipment, its stock of food and drink, its liabilities to customers and staff, and its income if it cannot trade. It brings the covers a food business needs, including product and food liability, into one policy.
Is restaurant insurance a legal requirement?
Restaurant insurance itself is not compulsory, but employers’ liability is a legal requirement if you employ anyone, at £5m minimum. Public liability and product liability are not required by law, but customers expect them and a commercial landlord often insists on them.
What does restaurant insurance cover?
Contents and kitchen equipment, stock of food and drink including deterioration, public liability, employers’ liability, product and food liability and business interruption as the core, plus glass and money and takings. You build the package around the food you serve and how you cook it.
Do I need employers' liability?
Yes, if you employ anyone, including part-time or casual staff. The law requires at least £5m of employers’ liability, usually arranged at £10m, and you can be fined up to £2,500 for each day you are uninsured.
What is product or food liability, and does it cover food poisoning?
Product and food liability is the cover that matters most for a restaurant, and yes, it covers claims arising from the food you serve, such as food poisoning or an allergic reaction. It sits alongside your duty to label allergens correctly under allergen law, including Natasha’s Law for pre-packed food. Following food hygiene rules and accurate allergen information are central to how these claims are handled.
Does it cover my kitchen equipment and stock?
Yes. Contents cover protects your cookers, fryers, fridges, freezers, furniture and tills against fire, flood, theft and damage. Stock cover protects your food and drink, including deterioration of chilled or frozen stock if refrigeration fails.
Does it cover stock deterioration or freezer breakdown?
Yes. Frozen and chilled stock that is spoiled by a fridge or freezer breakdown, or by a power failure, can be covered. This matters for a food business holding large amounts of perishable stock that can be lost in hours.
What is business interruption cover?
It replaces the income you lose and covers extra costs if you cannot trade after an insured event such as a kitchen fire or flood. It keeps the restaurant going while you recover and get back to serving.
How much does restaurant insurance cost?
There is no fixed price. A small restaurant often pays from a few hundred pounds up into the low thousands a year, depending on your cooking methods, the covers you choose, your annual turnover, your staff numbers, your location and your claims history.
Can better fire protection lower my premium?
Yes. Kitchen extinguishing systems, regular extraction cleaning and working alarms reduce the fire risk, so insurers often reduce the premium where good fire protection is in place. Some cover is conditional on having these measures fitted and maintained.
Does restaurant insurance cover public liability?
Yes, public liability is a core part of a restaurant policy. It covers you if a customer is injured on the premises, for example a slip on a wet floor or a scald from a hot drink, or their property is damaged, with limits commonly £1m, £2m or £5m.
Why use a specialist restaurant or hospitality insurance broker?
Food businesses vary widely by cuisine and cooking method, so the right cover for a café is not the right cover for a busy grill or a fine dining kitchen. A specialist restaurant and hospitality broker can match the food, liability and business interruption covers to how you actually trade. MyMoneyComparison.com connects you with FCA-authorised specialist brokers.
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