What Is the Difference Between SFBB for Caterers and Retailers?
Understand the differences between the SFBB Caterers and Retailers packs, which one your business needs, and the additional cuisine-specific variants.
SFBB for Caterers covers businesses that cook and serve food (restaurants, cafes, takeaways), while SFBB for Retailers covers businesses that primarily sell pre-packaged food (shops, convenience stores). Each has different safe methods tailored to the specific risks of that business type.
Key Facts
In Detail
The Food Standards Agency publishes four variants of the SFBB pack, each designed for a different type of food business. The Caterers pack is the most widely used and covers businesses that prepare, cook, and serve food — restaurants, cafes, pubs, takeaways, canteens, and care homes. The Retailers pack is for businesses that primarily sell food rather than cook it — shops, convenience stores, market stalls, and delicatessens. The key differences are in the safe methods covered. The Caterers pack has extensive sections on cooking, reheating, and hot-holding — critical controls for businesses that apply heat to food. The Retailers pack focuses more on stock rotation, date labelling, display and storage temperatures, and handling customer returns. Both packs cover cross-contamination, cleaning, chilling, and personal hygiene, but with examples relevant to their respective business types. There are also two cuisine-specific variants: SFBB for Indian Cuisines and SFBB for Chinese Cuisines. These are based on the Caterers pack but include additional safe methods for practices specific to those cuisines, such as using a tandoor or wok cooking at very high temperatures. They also include translated key phrases to help businesses where English is not the first language.
Which Pack Do I Need?
If you cook food and serve it to customers (restaurants, cafes, pubs, canteens, takeaways, mobile caterers), use the Caterers pack. If you sell mostly pre-packaged or pre-prepared food without significant cooking on-site (convenience stores, newsagents, market stalls selling packaged goods), use the Retailers pack. If your business primarily serves Indian cuisine (tandoori restaurants, Indian takeaways, curry houses), the Indian Cuisines pack is more appropriate. Similarly, Chinese, Thai, and other East Asian cuisine businesses should consider the Chinese Cuisines pack. Some businesses straddle categories — a deli that also has a cafe area might need elements of both the Caterers and Retailers packs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the Caterers pack if I also sell retail products?
If cooking and serving food is your primary activity, the Caterers pack is appropriate even if you also sell some retail items (like bottled drinks or packaged snacks). However, if retail is a significant part of your business, you may need to supplement with relevant sections from the Retailers pack to ensure stock management and date labelling are covered.
Are the cuisine-specific packs mandatory for Indian or Chinese restaurants?
No. They are optional alternatives. A standard Caterers pack is legally acceptable for any cuisine. However, the cuisine-specific packs are often more practical because they address the specific cooking methods and food safety risks relevant to those cuisines.
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