If you employ anyone, employers' liability insurance is compulsory by law, and the certificate should be available to staff. Public liability covers guests who slip on a wet floor or chip a tooth on a stone in the soup, and most landlords and event organisers insist on it. Product liability matters if you sell food to take away or wholesale. Buildings and contents cover protect the physical stuff, but the policy many venues learned to scrutinise after the pandemic is business interruption, which pays for lost income when you can't trade.
Read exactly what triggers it, whether it needs physical damage, and how long the indemnity period runs. Other covers worth considering include stock spoilage for freezer failure, glass, cyber for card and booking data, and licence protection in case your premises licence is challenged. Always declare deep-fat frying and late hours accurately, because non-disclosure can void a claim.
What we ask on the show
- What insurance do new venue owners most often forget?
- Did the pandemic change how venues think about business interruption?
- Is cyber insurance worth it for a restaurant?
- How do insurers view deep-fat fryers?