Restaurant insurance

Compare restaurant insurance quotes for your cafe, bistro or brasserie

Every cafe, bistro, brasserie and buffet restaurant needs restaurant insurance to keep you protected as you dish up food and drink for the paying public.

Every foodie business has its own unique flavour, whether they're simply plopping chips in the fryer, or blending exotic ingredients at an haute cuisine restaurant.

Business insurance and restaurant insurance has to be just as innovative to protect everything and everyone within a catering empire.

There are some common kitchen nightmares that every restauranteur will know all too well, but the right insurance can help you out of most hot spots without a dip in service.

The commercial freezer's broken

The cold store has failed, repeat, the cold store has failed.

It's unavoidable - your restaurant can't guarantee the safety of your food, your kitchen staff are halted, and you're prevented from serving your customers as usual.

• The items already in the fridge or freezer warm up and defrost and are therefore unusable
• Delivered stock that needs urgent refrigeration will go rotten and off while you're waiting for equipment repairs
• There's an additional risk that chemical fumes from faulty equipment may corrupt the food in its defrosted belly

If you're packing deterioration of stock insurance as part of your restaurant insurance, business interruptions won't necessarily be a financial catastrophe.

When water's all over the floor, and the chilled cabinet is sitting comfortably at room temperature, deterioration of stock insurance will usually reimburse the value of the spoiled goods.

The insurance may also cover the cost of replacing the faulty part of the fridge or freezer, and even the cost of repair. But you should check the terms and conditions.

Plus, if the cold store climate change isn't due to a mechanical fault, but instead a local electricity supply fail, you're usually still covered.

Replacing a commercial kitchen

Fitting a small cafe kitchen, or mobile events kitchen, could cost as little as £5,000. But a large hotel can spend millions of pounds if there are multiple kitchens on-site.

Your equipment inventory may include:

• Industrial cookers
• Cold stores
• Fridges and freezers
• Laundry
• Ventilation
• Kitchenware and knives

If you painstakingly picked out the equipment in your kitchen, it's unlikely you'll leave any of it vulnerable to loss, theft or damage - but these things do happen.

Business contents insurance cover isn't a legal requirement, but it does offer peace of mind.

You can choose between:

• Indemnity insurance: deducts the cost of damage so you're no worse off than before the loss
• New-for-old cover: a full reimbursement if the equipment is lost or stolen

This type of cover may protect you if you're catering for an event off-site too.

A customer's hurt themselves

Public liability isn't a legal requirement, but it's essential welfare cover for restaurateurs.

It shields you financially if a member of the public is injured while interacting with your cafeteria, coffee house, fast joint and every other restaurant in-between.

It'll also protect you if any of their possessions are damaged.

Meaning, if your customer caught their hand on a hot plate, or if their coat caught on fire during a particularly flamboyant flambé, you'd relish the cover.

Public liability may also be able to help you in case of food poisoning.

Any number of accidents can happen and public liability insurance may be your best combatant in the face of adversity.

You may also want to investigate product liability insurance if you're merchandising and selling pre-packaged food. Don't forget that the responsibility lies with third-party sellers at the point of sale, as well as manufacturers.

How to get cheaper restaurant and pub insurance quotes

You've got to spend money to make money, but sometimes you don't want to spend that much.

With GoCompare you can compare business insurance policies and pick the right one for your restaurant or cafe, at the right price.

But you can make insurance savings by running a yearly safety MOT on your kitchen too.

The Airedale Group is a leading company in the UK that specialises in the design, installation and service of commercial catering facilities.

Its marketing manager, Pete Walker, tells us: "We'd always advise that commercial kitchens of all sizes use their budget to prioritise safety equipment to comply with UK food regulation and legislation.

"At the top of your list should be ventilation and condenser canopies, and sprinklers in case of fire.

"By installing catering equipment that makes safety your first concern, you could reduce the cost of your insurance."

Commercial kitchens are prone to grease and oil build-up, and have a high concentration of naked flames, gas ovens and flammable sources of ignition. If you keep on top of your safety protocols and equipment, you'll reduce your risk of fire and help keep your premiums nice and low.

Lovingly drawing up menus, preparing food and matching wines, beers and spirits is a fulfilling profession. But it comes with its risks, so get your business insurance in place so it can support you when you need it the most.