Do I need to register?
Almost certainly, yes. Registration is required if you sell, or intend to sell, any food to the public — regardless of scale. This covers all seller types on NearBuyYou:
How to register
Registration is done through the council covering where your food is prepared, stored or sold from — usually your home or farm address.
Most councils offer a short online form via gov.uk. You'll need your business/trading name, address, and a description of what you're selling.
Do this before your NearBuyYou page goes live, if you can — it can take a little while for your council to process.
Your council will send an acknowledgement, usually by email. Save it — you'll upload it to NearBuyYou next.
During seller onboarding (or later in Settings), enter your business name, local authority, registration date, and upload your confirmation for review.
What NearBuyYou asks for
We collect this once — during seller onboarding, or later from Settings → Food business registration.
Until this is confirmed, your seller page stays in draft and won't be visible to buyers. Once submitted, our team typically reviews it within a couple of days.
Common questions
No — registering as a food business with your local council is free.
Add or update your registration any time from Settings.