Display rules differ across the UK
In Wales and Northern Ireland, food businesses must display their hygiene rating sticker where customers can see it before entering. In England display is voluntary, so the absence of a sticker in an English cafe means nothing on its own.
The rating is published on the Food Standards Agency website regardless, along with the date of inspection and the local authority that carried it out.
Allergens in food made on the premises
Sandwiches, salads and cakes made and packed on site before you order them fall under Natasha’s Law and must carry a full ingredients list with the 14 regulated allergens emphasised. Food made to order can be handled with verbal information, provided the business clearly signposts that you should ask.
Milk alternatives deserve a specific mention. A cafe using the same steam wand and jugs for dairy and non-dairy milk cannot promise the absence of cross contamination, and a serious dairy allergy needs that conversation explicitly.
Accessibility
Under the Equality Act 2010 a business providing a service to the public must make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers. What counts as reasonable depends on the size of the business and the practicality of the change, so a listed building with a step is treated differently from a new-build unit.
Assistance dogs are a specific case. Refusing entry to a customer with an assistance dog is unlawful discrimination in almost all circumstances, and a food hygiene concern is not a lawful reason.
Worth calling ahead for
Step-free access, accessible toilets and baby changing are rarely described accurately online. A phone call answers it faster than a website usually does.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a cafe have to give me tap water?
- In England and Wales, licensed premises must provide free potable water on request. An unlicensed cafe is not obliged to, though most will. In Scotland the requirement also attaches to licensed premises.
- Do I have to buy something to use the toilet?
- Toilets in a cafe are private facilities for customers and the business decides. Many will let you use them anyway. Public toilets provided by the council are a separate matter.
- Can I be charged a service charge in a cafe?
- A service charge must be clearly disclosed before you order for it to form part of the contract. Since the Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2023 came into force, tips and service charges must be passed on to workers in full and businesses must have a written policy.
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About this guide
Written and maintained by the LocalListed editorial team. It describes UK regulation and consumer protections in general terms and is not legal, financial or professional advice. Rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and change over time: always check the position with the named regulator before relying on it.