Licence Management Software for Catering Companies
Catering licence management includes your own registrations plus tracking venue licences for events: your food business registration, any alcohol licences for event service, and verification of venue licensing for your operations. Paddl covers catering licensing breadth: your registrations, event-specific licensing, and venue verification. We know that caterers need licence management for their own operation and event venues. Your food business registration, personal alcohol licence if you serve drinks, and public liability insurance are tracked as your core operating licences. Event-specific requirements-whether a venue's premises licence covers your cooking, whether you need a TEN for an outdoor event, whether a venue has adequate food safety registration-are checked as part of event planning. When you're quoting for an event at a new venue, Paddl's checklist ensures you've verified the licensing situation before you commit to a booking that might need permits you haven't applied for.
Understanding catering company compliance
Contract caterers and event catering companies operate across multiple venues with varying facilities and client requirements.
Operating in unfamiliar venues with varying facilities
Transporting food safely to event locations
Scaling operations for events of different sizes
Managing multiple client compliance requirements
Manage Personal Licences and Temporary Event Notices for Functions
Catering companies serving alcohol at events need careful licence management - understanding whether the venue's premises licence covers your service, whether a temporary event notice is required, and ensuring personal licence holders are available on site. Paddl tracks your team's personal licences, monitors TEN applications, and documents the licensing basis for every event.
Each event may have different licensing arrangements. Paddl records whether you are operating under the venue's premises licence, your own TEN, or the client's authorisation - ensuring your staff know the legal basis for alcohol service and the conditions that apply. This clarity prevents the legal ambiguity that can arise at weddings, corporate events, and private functions.
Personal licence renewal tracking ensures your qualified staff maintain current credentials. Paddl alerts licence holders when their ten-year renewal is approaching and reminds them of the requirement to notify changes of address or name to their issuing authority - administrative obligations that are easily forgotten.
Why this matters
Licence Management challenges for catering companies
With only 76% of UK catering companies fully compliant, licence management challenges are widespread. Here's what we hear from operators.
Multiple manufacturing and export licences - especially challenging when your catering company operates from different venues each week
Environmental permit compliance across varying venue facilities and equipment that your catering team encounters
Various certifications with different cycles when your catering company uses temporary and event-specific staff
Multiple customer approval requirements from production through transport to service at the event venue
Licence Management Software built for catering companies
Paddl's Licence Management features help catering companies stay compliant and save time.
Manufacturing Licence Tracking for Catering Companies
Track food manufacturing registrations, export certificates, and approvals for specific product types. For catering companies working across different venues and event sizes, this adapts to the variable conditions of mobile food operations.
Environmental Permits for Catering Companies
Manage environmental permits, discharge consents, and waste carrier licences with compliance tracking. Your catering team can maintain compliance documentation whether operating from a marquee, a client's kitchen, or your own production facility.
Certification Tracking for Catering Companies
Track BRC, SALSA, organic, halal, kosher, and other certifications with audit dates and renewal requirements. Whether you're catering an intimate dinner for 20 or a conference for 1,000, the system scales with your event requirements.
Client Approval Status for Catering Companies
Track approved supplier status with each client including audit dates, corrective actions, and renewal requirements. From your production kitchen through transport, venue setup, and event service, your catering operation's compliance chain is fully documented.
Why catering companies choose Paddl for licence management
Common questions about Licence Management for catering companies
How do I track manufacturing licences for catering companies?
Record all manufacturing registrations, export certificates, and product-specific approvals. Track application dates, approval dates, renewal requirements, and any conditions attached. Catering companies face unique challenges around venue variability - this accounts for that directly.
Can Paddl track environmental permits for catering companies?
Yes. Track discharge consents, waste carrier licences, environmental permits, and any other environmental compliance requirements with renewal dates and condition monitoring. Event caterers find this especially valuable when operating in unfamiliar venue kitchens.
How do I track multiple certifications for catering companies?
Manage BRC, SALSA, organic, halal, kosher, and other certifications in one system. Track audit dates, certificate expiry, and evidence requirements for each standard. For catering companies managing multiple events simultaneously, this keeps every job compliant.
Can I track customer approval status for catering companies?
Yes. Record approved supplier status with each customer-approval dates, audit requirements, corrective action status, and renewal timing. Never lose a customer relationship due to lapsed approvals. Catering operators report this is a significant advantage when pitching for new contracts.
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