One-stop Shop for Café & Bakery Law
Choose Freeths for full support on café and bakery law, from planning to franchising, food safety, sustainability and brand protection. We're a one-stop shop for all your legal needs, giving you more time to build your business.
Legal specialists in the drinks, hospitality & leisure sector
Flexible services tailored to the needs of your business
A leading full-service law firm ranked highly in The Legal 500
Experts in coffee shop & bakery law
We are renowned for our industry experience, as well as for our understanding of issues faced by café and bakery operators and how changes in laws and regulations can impact an already fast-moving sector. We offer specialist advice and assistance on a range of practice areas, including:
Franchising, restructuring and insolvency
Customer and staff data protection
Food safety, including regulatory enforcement
General business law
Whatever your unique needs, we can offer full legal support, so you can be confident you're operating your café, coffee shop or bakery the right way. When laws and regulations change, we'll be on hand to help you make key transitions and advise on best practices for futureproofing your business in terms of compliance.
"We have acted on acquisitions and disposals for café and bakery operators on both the high street and out-of-town retail sites. We know exactly what to press hard for during negotiations and are proactive with fast responses to ensure scarce sites are secured swiftly and opening timetables are kept on track - helping you stay one step ahead of the competition."
Lisa Gilligan
Leicester Office Managing Partner
Key contact
Lisa Gilligan
Leicester Office Managing Partner
Get in touch
Our specialist team also focuses on:
Why choose our café & bakery law specialists?
Our team are experts in the hospitality sector, with niche knowledge of how overarching laws and regulations guide café and bakery operations. Understanding the challenges you face guarantees reliable guidance and fast action from the start, helping you hit the ground running, whether this is a new venture, an acquisition for your portfolio or a first foray into franchising.
Our national team of lawyers are based in offices across the UK, so they're aware of the local landscape as well as the bigger picture
We can help whether you manage a family-run bakery or have a chain of cafés and coffee shops across the country
Our hospitality law specialists are always ahead of the game with changing regulations, helping you stay one step ahead of the competition
You can trust us for clear, commercial advice based on a thorough understanding of the industry and your unique requirements
What laws and regulations apply to running a café?
There are several legal aspects to be aware of when running a café, including:
Business registration
Consumer rights
Employment law
Health & safety regulations
Intellectual property
Tax law
We can advise on every element of business law and regulations specific to the hospitality industry, such as the Food Safety Act 1990, which protects the health and well-being of consumers, and Natasha's Law, which dictates how allergens are shown on pre-packaged food
Do I legally need a food hygiene certificate?
Good food hygiene is essential for the safety of those who visit your café, coffee shop or bakery, and by law, you must ensure food handlers receive appropriate training and supervision. However, you're not legally required to hold or display a food hygiene certificate.
When preparing, serving and storing food, consider the 4Cs of food hygiene as outlined by the UK Food Standards Agency:
Cleaning
Cooking
Chilling
Cross-contamination
Following Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles is a useful way to manage your food hygiene and safety procedures, helping you identify risks and ensure those dangers are removed or reduced to acceptable levels
Our accreditations
We are celebrating another year of accreditations and rankings.
Contact our café & bakery law specialists today
Our wide-ranging expertise in hospitality laws and regulations and other business-related legal fields allows us to fully support you and your café or bakery. To start your legal journey, call us on 0330 100 1014 today, and we'll put you in touch with one of our expert solicitors.
Testimonials
MA
“Leo and his team at Freeths act for The Big Table Group. I have had a longstanding relationship with Leo including my present role as Director of...
Matt Ainger, Property Director
Big Table Group
MG
“Freeths LLP have been our long term legal partner providing expertise and professionalism in handling both our everyday needs as well as supportin...
Mark Grunnell, Co-founder and Chief Executive
Red Oak Taverns
KA
“I have worked with Leo since April 2021 and he has provided me with inciteful and commercial support which can only come from someone who understa...
Kamran Aziz, Managing Director
RedCat Pub Company
HS
"Peach Pubs grew through acquiring freeholds and leaseholds (both private and pubco) over 20 years. Freeths became part of our success in the la...
Hamish Stoddart, Co-founder
Peach Pub Company
PD
“Leo and all of the team at Freeths are undoubted leisure sector specialists and are both commercial and pragmatic in their advice. They are able...
Phil Derbyshire, Group Property Director
The Restaurant Group Plc
RM
“Partnering with Freeths has provided us with invaluable support for our property activities. Their expert guidance and seamless service have prove...
Richard Maslin, Property Director
The Liberation Group
JD
“We have worked with Freeths for well over a decade for matters concerning our wine business and wine bars and restaurants, and are consistently im...
James Davy, Chairman
Davy’s
GB
"I have worked with Freeths for over two decades, firstly as an advisor alongside them when acting for a client, and more recently as the principal...
Graeme Bunn, Property & Acquisitions Director
Red Oak Taverns
TD
“Leo and his team at Freeths act for BKUK Group Limited and have done so since the inception of the business in its current form in 2017. I have ha...
Tim Doubleday, CFO
BKUK Group Limited
NB
“Freeths has provided unrivalled legal advice to our portfolio businesses in the pubs sector for many years. Their team regularly goes above and be...
Noah Bulkin, Managing Partner
May Capital
JL
“I have used Freeths for many years now, both on property and transactional matters. There are many reasons that I have used them so much, but top...
John Leslie, Chairman
Oakman Inns
PM
"The Late-Night sector has had some particularly difficult trading conditions over the last year, which meant unfortunately we had to take on board...
Peter Marks, Chairman
Neos Hospitality
Related news & insights
Explore our latest drinks, hospitality & leisure news and insightful articles.
Meet our team
Leo Skinner
Partner, Head of Drinks, Hospitality & Leisure
Alexander Blackhall
Associate
Contact us today
Whatever your legal needs, our wide ranging expertise is here to support you and your business, so let’s start your legal journey today and get you in touch with the right lawyer to get you started.
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