Restaurants, Wine Bars & Public Houses

Restaurant Insurance

Running a restaurant is about much more than serving good food. You create an experience for your customers, and you manage staff. At a Restaurant Wine Bar Public House, you protect equipment and keep the business running smoothly each day.

Whether you run a small independent restaurant, a family-owned establishment, a takeaway with seating or a larger dining operation, the right restaurant insurance can help protect your business when something unexpected happens.

At Shop Insurance, we understand that no two restaurants are the same. That is why we help you find insurance based on the way your business actually operates, rather than offering a one-size-fits-all policy.

Why is restaurant insurance important?

Restaurants can face a wide range of risks every day.

A customer could slip on a wet floor.

Additionally, they could suffer an allergic reaction to food or have their property damaged while visiting your premises.

An employee could be injured while working in the kitchen.

Moreover, your cooking equipment could be damaged by an unexpected incident.

There are also risks that may not be immediately obvious. A fire in the kitchen could cause significant damage to your premises and equipment, while a serious incident could result in your restaurant having to close temporarily.

The right insurance can help protect you against the financial consequences of these events. Moreover, this supports claims, legal costs and damage to your business, depending on covers and policy terms you choose.

What does restaurant insurance cover?

The insurance you need will depend on your restaurant, how you operate and the risks you face. We can help you arrange a package of covers designed around your business.

Public liability insurance

Public liability insurance can protect your restaurant if a customer or another member of the public suffers accidental injury or their property is accidentally damaged as a result of your business activities.

For example, at a Restaurant Wine Bar Public House, a customer could slip on a spillage or be injured.

Public liability cover can also provide protection where you are legally liable for injury or damage caused by your business activities, subject to the policy terms and conditions.

Products liability insurance

Food is at the heart of your business, but it can also create potential risks.

Products liability insurance can provide protection if a product you have supplied causes injury or illness and you are held legally responsible.

For a restaurant, this could include a customer becoming ill after eating food supplied by your business or suffering an allergic reaction because of an issue with ingredients or allergen information.

Public and products liability are often important parts of a restaurant insurance package, particularly for businesses preparing and serving food to the public.

Contents and equipment insurance

Your restaurant may contain thousands of pounds’ worth of equipment and contents.

This could include commercial ovens, fryers, refrigerators, freezers, extraction equipment, cooking utensils, furniture, tills, stock and other business contents.

Restaurant contents insurance can help protect your business contents against insured events, subject to the policy you choose.

It is important to make sure your sums insured accurately reflect the cost of replacing your equipment, contents and stock. Underestimating the value of your contents could leave you without enough cover following a claim.

You can also insure the following:

Money Cover
Glass Cover
Refrigerated Stock
Seasonal Stock Increases
Legal Expenses
Business Interruption
Personal Accident Cover

Employers’ liability insurance

If you employ staff, employers’ liability insurance is generally a legal requirement in the UK, subject to limited exceptions.

Restaurants rely heavily on their employees, from chefs and kitchen assistants to waiting staff, cleaners and managers. Working in a busy kitchen can involve risks such as hot surfaces, sharp equipment, slippery floors and manual handling.

Employers’ liability insurance can provide cover for claims made by employees who suffer an injury or illness arising from their employment, where you are legally liable.

The law generally requires employers to have at least £5 million of employers’ liability cover, although insurers commonly provide £10 million.

Buildings insurance

If you own the building from which your restaurant operates, you may also need commercial buildings insurance.

This can protect the structure of the property against insured risks such as fire, storm, escape of water and other events, depending on the policy.

If you rent your premises, responsibility for buildings insurance will usually sit with the property owner, but it is important to check your lease so you understand exactly what you are responsible for.

Business interruption insurance

What would happen if a fire or another insured event meant you could not open your restaurant?

Business interruption insurance can help protect your income following an insured event that prevents or restricts you from trading.

Depending on the policy, cover may help with lost gross profit or revenue and certain additional costs incurred while getting your business back up and running.

For many restaurants, this can be just as important as insuring the physical contents and equipment.

Do you insure restaurants with fryers?

Yes, we can arrange insurance for restaurants that use fryers, subject to the insurer’s underwriting criteria and the type of cooking undertaken.

Deep-fat fryers, commercial kitchens and cooking equipment can increase the risk of fire, so insurers will often have specific requirements relating to the installation, maintenance and use of cooking equipment.

Depending on the insurer and policy, requirements may include:

Deep-fat fryers being fitted with an appropriate thermostat and safety controls.
Cooking equipment being regularly cleaned and maintained.
Cooking equipment not being left unattended while in use.
Suitable extraction and ventilation systems being installed and maintained.
Appropriate fire extinguishing equipment being available.
Regular cleaning of extraction systems and filters.
Compliance with any specific insurer requirements relating to frying methods.

Some insurers may also place restrictions on flash frying, wok frying or other high-risk cooking methods.

The exact requirements vary between insurers, so if your restaurant uses deep-fat fryers, wok cooking or other specialist cooking methods, tell us when requesting a quote. We can then look for suitable insurance rather than trying to fit your business into an unsuitable policy.

What types of restaurants can we insure?

We can help arrange insurance for a wide range of food businesses, including many types of restaurant and dining establishment.

This may include:

Independent restaurants
Family-run restaurants
Italian restaurants
Indian restaurants
Chinese restaurants
Turkish and Middle Eastern restaurants
cafes and bistros
Restaurants with takeaway facilities
Restaurants with licensed premises
Small restaurants and independent dining businesses
Restaurants with commercial kitchens

Every business is different, however, and some activities, cooking methods, premises or trading arrangements may require specialist underwriting.

If you are unsure whether your restaurant can be insured, speak to our team. We can discuss how your business operates and look at the insurance options available.

How much does restaurant insurance cost?

There is no single price for restaurant insurance because every business presents a different level of risk.

The cost can depend on factors such as:

The type of restaurant and food you serve
Your location
The size and value of the premises
Number of employees
Annual turnover
The value of your equipment and contents
Your cooking methods
Whether you use deep-fat fryers
Your claims history
Whether you offer takeaway or delivery services
The levels of liability cover required
Any additional covers you choose

Rather than simply choosing the cheapest policy, it is important to make sure you have the right level of protection for your business.

At Shop Insurance, we can help you understand the cover available and obtain a restaurant insurance quotation based on your circumstances.

Why choose Shop Insurance?

Choosing insurance for a restaurant is not simply about ticking boxes on a quotation form.

We want to understand how your business works, what you need to protect and any particular risks associated with your premises or cooking operation.

As insurance brokers, we can approach suitable insurers on your behalf and help you compare the available options.

Whether you are opening a new restaurant, reviewing your existing insurance or looking for a better option at renewal, our team is here to help.

Get a Restaurant Insurance Quote

Your restaurant has taken time, money and hard work to build. Make sure you have appropriate insurance in place to help protect it.

Speak to Shop Insurance today for a restaurant insurance quotation.

Get a Restaurant Insurance Quote

If you are unsure what cover you need, that’s fine. Tell us a little about your restaurant and how you operate, and we can help you identify the insurance options that may be suitable for your business.

Our representatives are always contactable to assist and advise you – Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00 or email us your question to info@shopinsurance.co.uk and we will get back to you Monday – Friday 9:00 – 17:00

To find out more, call us today on 0121-628 9494